Kandy Age group, Novices and Open swim meet Dec 20 at Dharmaraja
pool
by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy Sports Corr.
Over 800 swimmers will take the plunge at the 10th Age Group, Novices
and Open Swimming championship organised by the Central Province Aquatic
Sports Association (CEPASA) and sponsored by Litro Gas and worked off at
Dharmaraja College Swimming Complex on December 20 commencing at 8 a.m.
This is about the biggest swimming meet outside Colombo, and has been
growing in stature over years and now has reached its 10th year which is
an achievement for an outstation Aquatic Association.
The livewire of the CEPASA and Senior Vice President and former Lake
House man Janaka de Silva said that a grand show has been organised to
celebrate the 10th year and it will be attended by Managing Director of
Litro Gas Piyadasa Kudabalage who has hulped this Association in
numerous ways over the years and also is one of the pioneers. Also
gracing the occasion will be legendary swimmer Julian Bolling who too,
has been present at this meet on several occasions.
Part of the 10th year celebrations there will be two separate awards
for the lady swimmer who has won the most of events during the past nine
years and the same award will be made for the top man in the men's
events.
The defending champions in the event for boys are Age Group champs
Trinity College and the Novices Dharmaraja College. But unfortunately
the defending champions Trinity College have not entered a team this
year and it will deny them the opportunity of retaining what they have
been winning for the past nine years in the Age Group championship which
they have won from the inception. In fact Trinity College has not any
major swimming championship this year something which is very rare and
this would have been an ideal opportunity for them to break their
'barren record'. The defending champions for girls in both categories
from the hill capital's Mahamaya Girls College who have won particularly
the Age Group Championship from the very inception and they will be
there to defend their title in a big way.
But the cynosure of all eyes will be two national swimmers in Shehan
de Silva and Sunethra Wijeratne who is a fine long distance swimmer.
Shehan de Silva who is the national champion and represented the country
at many international meets, including the World Junior Championship
held in Dubai last year, will represent the Navy. Shehan de Silva won
the Best swimmers award at the recently concluded National Sports
Festival organised by the Ministry of Sports this year.
Sunethra Wijeratne also now with the Navy presently has set up
several records at this meet and should have a tilt at the award for the
'Most number of wins for the past nine years' along with Shehan de
Silva.
Janaka de Silva said that the officials from the Sri Lanka Aquatic
Sports Union (SLASU) will officiate at this meet as in the past. In the
category for boys, some of the top schools which will be in the fray are
Dharmaraja, St. Anthony's, Kingswood, St. Sylvester's Gateway, Colombo
International School and Sri Chandananda Buddhist College.
Leading Girls Schools which will take the plunge are Mahamaya, Girls
High School, Seetha Devi BV, Sussex College, Vihara Maha Devi BV,
Swarnamali BV, St. Anthony's BV, Ecole International, Vision
International and Gangasiripura MV. In the over 16 open event University
of Peradeniya and the Army will be in the fray.
Some of the top girls swimmers who will endeavour to swim to glory
are Vinoli Siriwardena, Uthma Silva, Tilini Tennakoon, Devinda
Jayawardena, Pawani Costa, Maheshi Yapa, Dilki Perera, Thisari
Karunatillake and Chamali Jayawardena.
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