More international hopes from world number one table tennis champion Tavi Samaraweera

11-year-old Tavi Samaraweera made Sri Lankan table tennis history by claiming the world number one spot in the International Table Tennis Federation under-11 boys' singles division, becoming the first player across any age group or gender to achieve a global number one ranking.

Plans are now in place for him to participate in an upcoming series of international tournaments and training camps.

The scheduled competitions include the Slovenian WTT Youth Contender from August 24 to 27, the Croatian WTT Youth Contender in Varazdin from August 29 to 31, an international training camp in Sweden from September 1 to 18, and the Georgian WTT Youth Contender in Tbilisi from September 25 to 27.

Studying at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, Tavi trains under the guidance of his father, Hasitha Samaraweera. He earned global renown by winning gold medals at World Table Tennis Youth Contender events in Lignano, Italy, Doha, Qatar, and Bahrain, and currently maintains the top position in both the under-11 and under-13 categories within the South Asian region.

Tavi secured a bronze medal in the under-13 division at a tournament held in Sandefjord, Norway, from May 30 to June 2, and also advanced to the top eight players in the under-15 division, where he competed against older athletes.

Reports indicate this tour aims to provide the player with continuous international experience, protect his current standing, and build a strong ranking foundation for the upcoming year 2027, rather than merely chasing rankings.

The multi-week training camp in Sweden offers an ideal opportunity to train alongside prominent international players and coaches while overcoming emerging weaknesses, supporting the expectation to continuously maintain Tavi's future sports career at a high level under a long-term development plan.