Wilson conducts successful coaching camp

By Upananda Jayasundera, Kandy Sports Special Corr.

SWIMMING: Former national swimmer turned coach E.G.A. Wilson is doing well as a swimming coach and held a successful five-day residential swimming coaching camp at the Peradeniya University swimming pool from August 18 to 22. There were over 50 students from different age groups who followed his coaching classes.

E.G.A. Wilson is a product of Rahula College, Tangalle and was a national swimming champion way back in 1974 and held Sri Lanka records in the 50, 100 and 200 metres backstroke events. He also represented Sri Lanka at various swimming meets and as a coach he represented Sri Lanka at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games as a swimming coach where Conrad Francis and Menaka Silva participated. He also was in Qatar as a coach in 2006 and was at the World Championship earlier in 2005 and also at the Commonwealth Games in 2006.

At the coaching classes, Wilson was assisted by Nishantha Kumarapperuma.

There were quite a handful of up-and-coming swimmers who were present at the camp - Devika Gunatilleke, Y. Samarajeewa and Madhavi Dharmaddasa were the pick of the swimmers.