Munchee sponsors athletic championship

The 50th anniversary inter-regiment athletic meet of the Army sponsored by Munchee was held at the Sugathadasa Stadium recently. This is the sixth consecutive year that Munchee has sponsored the athletic meet, which is the Army's key annual sporting event.

The Army Athletic Committee that was set up in 1950 organises this championship annually. Almost a thousand athletes representing the 24 regiments of the army took part in this year's championship.

A three-day photography exhibition was held parallel to the championship at the Colombo Sugathadasa Stadium. A collection of 170 photographs of athletes who brought merit to the Army and the country was on display.

Sajith Maduranga of the Electronic and Mechanical Engineering Regiment, who took part in the javelin throw event won the Munchee Challenge Trophy for Best Male Athlete while woman soldier U.K.N. Rathnayake of the Seventh Women's Corps who won the 1,500 metre event bagged the Munchee Challenge Trophy for the Best Female Athlete.

The chief guest was Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne. Army Commander Major General Daya Ratnayake and Group Director and Head of Marketing and Sales, Ceylon Biscuits, Nanda Wickramage were also present.

Major General Daya Ratnayake said that the main intention of this championship was to help soldiers to compete at national level.

Several athletes such as Chaminda Wijeykoon, Prasanna Amarasekara, Nadeeka Lakmali, M.C. Dilrukshi, Rohitha Pushpakumara, R. D. U. S. Surendra, S. M. Safran, P. H. Chamal, Sachith Madhuranga, N. P. Gunathilaka, who have brought fame to Sri Lanka at international meets participated in this year's championship.

On the first day of this three-day championship a new meet record (57.57 metres) was set by National javelin thrower Nadeeka Lakmali. She clinched the Overall Best Athlete award. The athletes set nine new meet records of which seven were in women's events, while two were in men's events.