Following a stellar international career and a silver-medal-winning performance at the Thailand Para Open Championship, Sri Lanka’s premier Para Table Tennis player,Former Isipathanian Dinesh Deshappriya, is setting his sights firmly on the podium at the 5th Asian Para Games in Japan.

As part of Sri Lanka’s 20-member contingent based in Nagoya, Deshappriya stands as the nation’s sole table tennis representative in the squad. Competing in the class 9 category, the 41-year-old veteran is confident and determined to add another milestone to his illustrious career.

“I won the Silver medal (class 10) at the 2014 Asian Para Games in South Korea, which was the first Para TT medal for Sri Lanka,” Deshappriya noted. “This time, I worked hard to prepare and am determined to bag a medal.”

Overcoming Adversity Through Passion

Deshappriya’s journey is defined by resilience. Born with a leg injury, he grew up playing table tennis following in the footsteps of his elder brothers, Indika Prasad and Nuwan Sampath, while representing Isipathana College.

Uniquely, Deshappriya has competed at the highest levels as both an able-bodied and a para athlete. His career has not come without physical tolls; managing his leg injury requires monthly pain-management injections. Yet, his profound dedication and the backing of the National Paralympic Committee and the Ministry of Sports have kept him competing at the elite level.

With a lack of standard local sparring partners for para-specific training, his brother Nuwan Sampath serves as his coach, guiding his technical development. Deshappriya also notes the financial hurdles of international competition—often self-funding trips abroad without coaching staff—yet his ultimate dream remains clear: representing Sri Lanka on the grandest stage of the Paralympics.

Career Highlights & Major International Achievements

National Team (Able-Bodied)

• 2010 South Asian Games: Silver and Bronze medals
• Commonwealth Games: Participant in 2010 and 2014
• World Table Tennis Championship (Dortmund, Germany): 2012
• 2nd Lusofonia Games (Lisbon, Portugal): 2009
• Asian Table Tennis Championships: 2009, 2012, 2023

National Level (Para Table Tennis)

• Asian Para Games (Incheon, South Korea, 2014): Silver Medal (Class 10)
• Asian Para Games (Jakarta, Indonesia, 2018): Quarterfinalist (Class 10)
• Asian Para Games (Hangzhou, China, 2023): Group Stage (Class 09)
• Asian Para TT Championship (2019): Bronze Medalist in Singles (Class 09)
• Thailand Open Para Championship (2024): Silver Medal
• ITTF New Taipei City Para Open (2024): Gold in Doubles (Class 18)
• ITTF Watani Para Open: Gold in Singles (Class 9-10)
• ITTF Egypt Para Open: Gold in Singles