COLOMBO, Sunday August 31, (ePRESS) – Royal College Colombo regained the prestigious EFC Pereira Challenge Trophy after defeating traditional rivals S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia 3-1 in the 20th annual tennis encounter played under floodlights at the P. Nagendran Tennis Complex, Royal College, on Saturday night.
The Royalists, playing with sharp strokes and strong court coverage, took early control of the Under-19 tie.
In the first singles, Ashmal Bilal (RC) outplayed Chanakya Perera (STC) 9-4, using consistent baseline rallies to seal the opening point.
In the first doubles, the Royal pair Chenul Wickramasinghe and Kavish Maddumage combined power with precision to beat Zaydaan Akbhar and Abdul Baasith Cader (STC) 9-5, extending the home side’s lead to 2-0.
S. Thomas’ fought back in the second singles, where Aahil Kaleel (STC) produced a strong performance to edge past Bhishman Balaratnarajah (RC) 9-6, narrowing the gap.
But Royal College clinched the trophy in dramatic fashion. The second doubles was a thriller decided on a tiebreak, as Jamal Sabry and Naqeeb Hussain (RC) held their nerve to beat Meneshka Ratnasingham and Kaavinda Wijemanne (STC) 9-8 (4). That win gave Royal an unbeatable 3-1 lead.
The third singles between Royal captain Methvan Wijemanne and Sanija Kulatilaka (STC) was not played as the result was already sealed.
In the junior matches, S. Thomas’ College won the Under-13 encounter 3-0, while Royal College dominated the Under-15 encounter 3-0, highlighting the depth of both schools’ tennis talent.
The Royal College team was guided by Head of Tennis Advisory for Royal College Somanath Fernando, Head Coach Renouk Wijemanne, with junior coach Ruwan Fernando shaping the future stars. The campaign was well supported by the teacher-in-charge Mrs. W.S. Vidanagama, whose commitment was praised by players and parents alike.
With this victory, Royal not only secured the Under-19 title but also proudly lifted the EFC Pereira Challenge Trophy, restoring their dominance in this historic school rivalry. Royal now lead the overall tally 15-5 after 20 encounters.
