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| Sunday, 27 October 2002 |
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Medal hero Chanaka youngest diver to achieve feat by Leslie Fernando The champion national men's diver Chanaka Wickremasinghe of Royal College became the youngest to win three gold medals and to be selected as the best diver at the National Swimming and Diving Championships conducted by the National Amateur Aquatic Sports Union of Sri Lanka which was held at the Sugathadasa Stadium swimming pool last weekend. Chanaka won gold medals in the one metre springboard collecting 377.95 points, three metre springboard with 396.50 points and the platform diving 294.75 points. Chanaka, who is the captain of the Royal College diving team was awarded the challenge trophy presented by NAASU in recognition of this feat. Chanaka also single handedly helped Royal College emerge diving champions collecting 51 points and lift the Allan Smith Challenge Trophy. Chanaka, who is also a good swimmer having represented Royal, started diving in 1995 for Biyagama Junior School. In the year 1995 he won the Novices Diving Championships. This helped him gain admission to Royal College in recognition of his latent talent. His maiden trip abroad was in 1998 to Malaysia for the Asia Pacific Age Group Swimming and Diving Championships. Chanaka won diplomas in both springboard and platform diving. In the year 1999 he participated at the World Junior Diving Championships in Czechoslovakia and was placed 25th. In the same year Chanaka took part in the Invitation Diving Championships in India and where he emerged the star performer for Sri Lanka landing to a gold medals in one metre and three metre diving events. Chanaka was the captain of the Sri Lanka swimming and diving contingent at the Asia Pacific Age Group Swimming and Diving Championships held in Chinese Taipei. He won two bronze medals and two diplomas. At the Royal College annual prize giving 2001 Chanaka was awarded the trophy for the 'Most Outstanding Sportsman of the Year.' Chanaka was the second diver to win three gold medals at the National Diving Championships. The earlier feat was from Olympic and Asian diver Janaka Biyanwala who incidentally was also a Royalist. He was trained in diving by a former national diving coach Mohamed Fayaz who is presently a coach in New Zealand. Chanaka is the brother of Chami Wickremasinghe, a national swimmer who has represented Visakha Vidyalaya in swimming, and waterpolo. Chami was the school swimming and waterpolo captain and also won the top award at the 1997 Vishaka Vidyalaya prize giving. Chanaka, an 'A' Level student has won the school colours and Sri Lanka School's Colours for four consecutive years from 1998 to 2001. His main ambition is to represent Sri Lanka in diving at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. |
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