Miniruwani Samarakoon - the swimming star of GHS, Kandy

by Upananda JAYASUNDERA - Kandy Sports Special Corr.

SWIMMING: A young swimmer who is going places in her chosen activity Miniruwani Samarakoon from Girls High School, Kandy has received the Zonta Women Achievement Award for sports last year - 2009.

Swimming and Miniruwani Samarakoon has had close links and she has climbed the ladder of success from her early age. Before coming over to Girls High School, Kandy, she had her primary education at Gateway International School, Kandy where she started swimming in earnest.

Once she had a fling in swimming, there was no stopping this girl in forging ahead in the sport. At the 11th South Asian Games held in Dhaka, Bangladesh earlier this year, she won two silver medals and one bronze medal.

Swimming has caught her fancy from early age and Miniruwani was selected as the National Swimming Champion (open) for three years in succession - 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2008 at the National Aquatic Championships held in 2008, she equalled the 50 metres Butterfly Stroke National Record held by Mayumi Raheem and went on to win four Gold Medals. In 2009, she established a National Record in the 100 metres Butterfly Stroke.

Miniruwani represented Sri Lanka at the South Asian Games in 2004, 2006 and 2007 before this year's Games in Bangladesh.

Right now, she hold five Open National Records: 50 metres Butterfly long course, 100 metres Butterfly long course, 100 metres Butterfly short course, 200 metres Butterfly short course and 400 metres Individual Medley short course national records.

She represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in 2006 and the World Swimming Championships in 2008 and also represented Sri Lanka at the 13th FINA World Championships in Rome in 2009 and at the Asian Age Group Swimming Championship in Tokyo, Japan in 2009.

Miniruwani Samarakoon was also the captain of the Sri Lanka Schools Swimming Team that participated at the Asian Schools Championships in Malaysia in 2008. She was in the under 20 age group at the meet.

She was selected as the up-and-coming sports Star at the Sri Lankan Schools Colours Award Ceremony in 2008 and 2009.

Last year, she was one of two girls who were selected to represent Sri Lanka at the World Swimming Championships in Rome.