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Rushan Samarasinghe was one of the best high school tennis players in New Jersey during the 1980s.
Good enough to win Bergen County titles and compete for State championships. Good enough to win two of The Record's Athlete of the Week awards.
But there always was more to his story, especially since Samarasinghe lost most of his hearing after a bout with a fever as a child. And it's that part of the story that has moved to the forefront in the last year or so as the Mahwah resident tries to take his place among the premier hearing-impaired tennis players in the world.
"I came across an article that was posted on USTA.com that mentioned about the National Deaf Tennis Tournament, which obviously caught my attention," said Samarasinghe, who did the interview for this article via e-mail. "I thought that it would be a good opportunity to enlighten myself more about people like myself. I guess being surrounded by 'normal people' was my reason for overlooking deaf culture.
"I believe I was too comfortable with being a hearing-impaired person in the mainstream to consider deaf culture. The real world has prompted me to realize that disabled people face so many struggles, and consequently, I would like to eventually give back by being a role model."
A big step in that process comes next week when Samarasinghe competes for the United States in the prestigious Dresse Cup for Deaf Men in Munich, Germany. This event, which runs from Saturday through July 28, has been called "The Deaf Davis Cup" and will feature teams from 18 nations.
Howard Gorrell, team leader of USA Team, is particularly high on Samarasinghe, saying that he may represent Team USA's best hope against the top clay-court players of Europe.
"It's funny how my game has evolved over the years," said Samarasinghe, 37, an equities trader and entrepreneur who is almost totally deaf in both ears. "I was primarily a hard court counter-puncher with flat ground strokes in my early days. But my game has developed into a more topspin-based, all-court game, which suits well for the clay court-type of tennis.
"The one clear advantage that I have over other players is the experience of playing tournaments since I was 5 years old. I do not know the quality of the international competition, but I am well aware of the talent of the German and British teams."
Samarasinghe was a standout performer for Pascack Hills when he was a nationally ranked Junior player in the '80s, posting a 92-7 record over three seasons. He played at Columbia University, and, upon graduating in 1992, spent a year playing satellite-level professional tournaments before giving up the game for 11 years.
"I think the main reason why I chose tennis over most sports is because I didn't have to rely on my hearing in a team setting," said Samarasinghe, who plays out of the Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club. "Ultimately, succeeding in a sport for a disabled person is no different than anyone else. It requires hard work and dedication. One of the benefits of being a disabled athlete is the tendency for opponents to underestimate you.
"In some respects, I am disappointed that I didn't spend time understanding about this culture," Samarasinghe said. "It's hard to look back, but it's certainly open my eyes. I intend on committing more time in learning more."
HOW TO HELP: The U.S.A. Deaf Sports Federation is seeking contributions to defray the cost of Samarasinghe's trip. Those interested can send tax-deductible contributions, payable to "USA Deaf Sports Federation" with "Tennis Fund" followed by Samarasinghe's name on the memo line, to: USA Deaf Sports Federation, 102 North Krohn Place, Sioux Falls, SD 57103-1800.
Rushan Samarasinghe was one of the best high school tennis players in New Jersey during the 1980s.
Good enough to win Bergen County titles and compete for State championships. Good enough to win two of The Record's Athlete of the Week awards.
But there always was more to his story, especially since Samarasinghe lost most of his hearing after a bout with a fever as a child. And it's that part of the story that has moved to the forefront in the last year or so as the Mahwah resident tries to take his place among the premier hearing-impaired tennis players in the world.
"I came across an article that was posted on USTA.com that mentioned about the National Deaf Tennis Tournament, which obviously caught my attention," said Samarasinghe, who did the interview for this article via e-mail. "I thought that it would be a good opportunity to enlighten myself more about people like myself. I guess being surrounded by 'normal people' was my reason for overlooking deaf culture.
"I believe I was too comfortable with being a hearing-impaired person in the mainstream to consider deaf culture. The real world has prompted me to realize that disabled people face so many struggles, and consequently, I would like to eventually give back by being a role model."
A big step in that process comes next week when Samarasinghe competes for the United States in the prestigious Dresse Cup for Deaf Men in Munich, Germany. This event, which runs from Saturday through July 28, has been called "The Deaf Davis Cup" and will feature teams from 18 nations.
Howard Gorrell, team leader of USA Team, is particularly high on Samarasinghe, saying that he may represent Team USA's best hope against the top clay-court players of Europe.
"It's funny how my game has evolved over the years," said Samarasinghe, 37, an equities trader and entrepreneur who is almost totally deaf in both ears. "I was primarily a hard court counter-puncher with flat ground strokes in my early days. But my game has developed into a more topspin-based, all-court game, which suits well for the clay court-type of tennis.
"The one clear advantage that I have over other players is the experience of playing tournaments since I was 5 years old. I do not know the quality of the international competition, but I am well aware of the talent of the German and British teams."
Samarasinghe was a standout performer for Pascack Hills when he was a nationally ranked Junior player in the '80s, posting a 92-7 record over three seasons. He played at Columbia University, and, upon graduating in 1992, spent a year playing satellite-level professional tournaments before giving up the game for 11 years.
"I think the main reason why I chose tennis over most sports is because I didn't have to rely on my hearing in a team setting," said Samarasinghe, who plays out of the Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club. "Ultimately, succeeding in a sport for a disabled person is no different than anyone else. It requires hard work and dedication. One of the benefits of being a disabled athlete is the tendency for opponents to underestimate you.
"In some respects, I am disappointed that I didn't spend time understanding about this culture," Samarasinghe said. "It's hard to look back, but it's certainly open my eyes. I intend on committing more time in learning more."
HOW TO HELP: The U.S.A. Deaf Sports Federation is seeking contributions to defray the cost of Samarasinghe's trip. Those interested can send tax-deductible contributions, payable to "USA Deaf Sports Federation" with "Tennis Fund" followed by Samarasinghe's name on the memo line, to: USA Deaf Sports Federation, 102 North Krohn Place, Sioux Falls, SD 57103-1800.