Taavi Samaraweera Bags Fifth Straight International Table Tennis Medal for SL

Sri Lanka’s young table tennis sensation Taavi Samaraweera continued his impressive international run by winning silver in the Under-11 Singles event at the WTT Youth Contender 2026 in Varaždin, Croatia.

Held from August 29 to 31 under the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the tournament is an official World Youth Ranking event.

Taavi delivered a series of strong performances to reach his fifth consecutive Under-11 Singles final at WTT Youth Contender tournaments this year. He also advanced to the Under-13 Singles quarter-finals, finishing among the tournament’s top eight players.

The Croatian result takes Taavi’s Under-11 medal tally for 2026 to four gold medals and one silver. Earlier this year, he claimed gold medals in Qatar, Bahrain, Kosovo and Slovenia, before finishing runner-up in Croatia.

His success has also extended to the Under-13 category, where he has recorded three podium finishes in 2026, including a silver medal in Kosovo and bronze medals in Norway and Slovenia.

The latest achievement further underlines Taavi’s emergence as one of Sri Lanka’s most promising young table tennis players, with his consistent performances on the international youth circuit continuing to attract attention.