Teenager Dinara de Silva is one of Sri Lanka’s promising female tennis players from St Bridget’s Convent in Colombo.
She is the reigning junior National champion and likewise the number one ranked junior player.
At the 2022 Nationals conducted by the Sri Lanka Tennis Association, Dinara bagged a triple by winning the Junior National (under18) Singles and Doubles titles as well as the Under 16 Singles title.
She won the Junior National title before her 14th birthday and ended 2022 as the Number one ranked junior player in Sri Lanka.
She was able to play in the women’s Open at the SSC Open in January this year where she reached the semi final of the women’s Singles and was the runner-up at the Doubles partnering Saajida Raazik.
For her performances during the year, Dinara was adjudged the Outstanding Schools Tennis Player of Year at the Sports Unleash National Schools Sports Awards in January 2023.
She is coached by former National champion Dineshkanthan Thangarajah and his team of coaches at the Dineshkanthan Tennis School in Colombo.
But Dinara Veronica Marian de Silva considers herself to be a born natural athlete with a Purple Heart.
“There were bats, balls and racquets at home and so running around and hitting a ball came naturally to me,” she told the Sunday Observer in an interview.
Excerpts of the interview:
Q: Describe yourself in one word?
Hardworking
Q: Any words or phrases you overuse?
I am told I use the word ‘okay’ at the end when explaining something
Q: What is your most marked characteristic?
The brown streaks of hair on my head which is natural
Q: What is the most important thing in your life?
Family
Q: Are you fashionable?
Not really. My fashion is around a standard dress or jeans and T-shirt
Q: What motivates you in your life?
Passion for tennis and my tennis goals
Q: If you could choose any career right now, what would it be?
A professional tennis player
Q: What forms of music do you listen to?
I love to listen to Sinhala music which I do when possible. But as I don’t have my own phone I have to listen to my parents’ playlists, which is not too bad. I like to play the piano too
Q: What’s the best thing you would like to hear from someone?
That I am a nice and caring person
Q. What made you choose sports?
My father played and captained his school cricket team, my mother was an athlete at school and I am told my grandfather played both cricket and tennis. There were bats, balls and racquets at home and so running around and hitting a ball came naturally to me
Q. Thus far what was your most unforgettable sporting incident?
Winning the Under-12 and Under-14 Singles at the 2020 Nationals. That was not something I thought I was able to do then
Q. What’s your best school sporting achievement?
Winning the award for National Schools Tennis Player of the Year at the 2022 Sports Unleash National Schools Sports Awards
Q: What has been your biggest disappointment?
Not being included in the International Tennis Federation U-14 and Asia team to Europe in 2022
Q: Most important lesson life has taught you?
Although the future cannot be predicted, when you dream big, set your goals high and work hard towards it, then dreams do come true