Table tennis veteran Lalith Priyantha’s philosophy in this racquet sport goes beyond the skills exhibited at the playing table. He believes that quick reflexes and shots executed at lightening speed during play must be supplemented with sharp thinking. He acknowledges doing all that during his victory at the Masters’ event at the 2009 Table Tennis Nationals, which was worked off at the S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia Indoor Stadium, last week.

He also acknowledged that the sport had gained momentum with the duration of games being shortened due to the new points system. But what alarms Priyantha, Sri Lanka’s first World Rated table tennis player, is players overlooking the importance of the ‘thinking game’.

Priyantha made the news by winning the Master’s tournament for the third successive year and what was significant about this was that he didn’t drop a set, during the three years he contested this tournament.

Priyantha might be experiencing a little tightness in his muscles, but it was a treat to watch him fox his opponents with his service. His opponent in the final, Gamini Moraes, complimented his victory by stating that Priyantha’s service was so difficult to read and that even the best of young players in the country would find it tough to play them if they were pitted against this veteran paddler.

"Players must learn to read their opponents and also be focused on when, where and how to play a shot. If you can do this, you are assured of victory," said Priyantha, who is still involved in table tennis as a coach. He affirmed that skills alone wouldn’t take a player very far in this discipline which is considered one of the fastest sports in the world.

He said players needed to meditate and also dabble in other games to improve on fitness. "We now see cricketers play soccer during training. Sports have advanced and there is a lot sportsmen have to do, to be competitive," explained Priyantha.

But he was quick to point out that table tennis players in Sri Lanka didn’t enjoy the luxury of having time on their hands, because the lack of a permanent place to train forced them to stick to playing table tennis only when hiring a hall for training. "No player can afford to do physical exercises during table tennis training when the hall is booked for a duration of one and a half hours. A player will use that time only to play his shots and this doesn’t augur well for the future of table tennis," he opined.

He said that the Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka (TTASL), had written to many sports ministers in the past, requesting for a place to train, but all requests had fallen on deaf ears.

He said that the sport would benefit to a great extent, if it could attract a lot more publicity. "The game is now dominated in areas like Colombo and Ambalangoda. It needs to be mentioned that Ambalangoda has made a name in table tennis, because the players and their parents are very keen in making a mark in this sport," he said.

Priyantha added that he was a little sad that the sport didn’t attract the attention of the media like in the past when he was a player and also later when he served the TTASL as its president.

Priyantha opined that playing table tennis would place a player in an advantageous position when facing an interview, for a job. "Table tennis teaches players to judge a situation very quickly and make quick decisions. This characteristic is visibly prominent among table tennis players. A table tennis player can be an asset to a company, where its employees need to take quick decisions," he said.

Talking about employment and the need for players to go professional, he said that it was encouraging to see companies like MAS Holdings and institutes like Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force offering employment for sportsmen and women.

Priyantha believes that players should practice the ethics outlined in the sport and not be hell bent on playing only for the satisfaction that victory brings in the sporting arena. And talking further on the subject of ethics, he said he was sad to see players who have not even won a novices tournament, sporting the Sri Lanka crest on their blazers when touring abroad for veterans’ tournaments. "The Sri Lanka crest is something that we sweat for. It’s not fair when one gets to wear the Sri Lanka crest just because he meets the age group criteria and finds a sponsor for the tour," said Priyantha.

Many things stand out when one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated sons in table tennis, Priyantha, takes part in tournaments. The squint in his eyes, the mischievous smile, the invincible serve that foxes players, all make his presence overwhelming. But then, there is something that is more prominent than all this when one sees Priyantha in a table tennis hall and that is his enthusiasm to enjoy life to the fullest.