Sri Lanka’s Taavi Samaraweera, ranked world No.1 in the under‑11 table tennis category, returned to the country this morning after a triumphant European tour where he captured gold, silver, and bronze medals across two international tournaments.
The 11‑year‑old, a Grade 6 student at St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, arrived at Katunayake Airport at 8:45 am with his mother on Qatar Airways flight QR‑664 from Doha.
Samaraweera’s tour reportedly targeted three world ranking events, where he showcased exceptional skill and rewrote Sri Lanka’s table tennis history.
At the competition in Pristina, Kosovo (May 22–25), he became the first Sri Lankan to qualify for finals in both the under‑11 and under‑13 categories, winning gold in the former and silver in the latter.
At Sandefjord, Norway (May 30–June 2), he secured bronze in the under‑13 category and earned a place among the “best eight players” in the under‑15 division, competing against older opponents.
Currently, Samaraweera leads the global under‑11 rankings and also holds the top spot in both the under‑11 and under‑13 categories in the South Asian region. (Newswire)