Thomian schoolboy creates TT history for Sri Lanka

By Susil Premalal

Rising table tennis prodigy, Taavi Samarawera, has reached third place in the Under-11 boys’ world rankings, marking the highest-ever global rating for any player from Sri Lanka across both junior and senior categories.
A student of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavana Taavi comes from a family with a strong table tennis background. His father and personal coach, Hasitha Samarawera, is a South Asian table tennis medalist, while his grandfather, Daya Samarawera, former President of the Sri Lanka Table Tennis Association has also been a guiding influence.
Taavi is set to face Hu Kai Xiang from Chinese Taipei at the WTT Youth Contender (WTTYC) U-11 boys’ Singles tournament in Puerto Prince, where he will continue to showcase his exceptional talent on the international stage.
Taavi has already won one gold, five silver and four bronze medals at international events. He recently claimed a gold medal at the Under-11 World Junior Rankings tournament in Lignano, Italy, out-performing 24 top competitors from 34 countries, a historic achievement for Sri Lanka.
With his meteoric rise, Taavi Samarawera has firmly established himself as one of Sri Lanka’s most promising young athletes, bringing international recognition to the country in the sport of table tennis.