Lanka's golden duo in swimming

Two 15-year-old swimmers from Kandy, Heshan Unamboowe of Trinity College and Miniruwani Samarakoon of Gateway International School performed the best for the year 2007 at both local and international swimming championships. So Heshan is the best male swimmer and Miniruwani best female swimmer of the country.

Their performances should be valued as both were swimming with the best competitors here and abroad.

Heshan put up a remarkable performance at the 2007 All Island Schools Swimming Championships, establishing a national record in the 200 metres Individual Medley clocking 2:17:36 secs. and erased the national record held by Andrew Abeysinghe of Rainbow AC, 2:17:57 secs.

He also set up a new Sri Lanka record at the 2007 National Swimming Championships in the 50 metres backstroke 28:17 secs. Heshan who won all five events at the nationals, 50 metres backstroke, 1500 metres freestyle, 200 metres individual medley, 100 metres freestyle and 100 metres breaststroke was selected as the best men's swimmer.

At the 2007 Sri Lanka Schools All-Island Swimming Championships, Heshan, who won all five events, was selected the best boys' swimmer.

He showed his class in the short course National Swimming Championships, Age Group Swimming Championships and the Pentathlon Swimming Championships, becoming champion in the under-15 age category.

Heshan has brought laurels to the country at the Asia Pacific Age group Swimming Championships held in Indonesia in 2005 and 2006, winning two gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal.

He captained Sri Lanka's swimming team for the 1st South Asia Swimming and Waterpolo Championships held in Islamabad, Pakistan in September this year. Heshan was the 'Star' swimmer amongst men's swimmers. He won two gold medals in the 200 metres freestyle and 50 metres freestyle. He set new national records in both these events.

Heshan also won silver medals in the 200 metres backstroke, 50 metres backstroke, 200 metres individual medley and 100 metres backstroke.

He is certainly our Golden Boy in swimming and much is expected from him in the future international meets.

Former Hillwood College swimmer Miniruwani Samarakoon of Gateway International School, Kandy has also fared prominently for the year 2007.

She was selected the Best Women's Swimmer at the 2007 National Swimming Championships.

She won five gold medals in 50, 100, 200 metres butterfly stroke and 200 and 400 metres individual medley.Miniruwani who started her swimming career at the tender age of 7 years for Hillwood College, Kandy in 1999 and won the National Pentathlon Swimming Championships for three consecutive years in the under-10 age group at age seven 2000 at age 8 and 2001 at age 9.

She has shown her champion qualities since the year 1999 and is one of the brightest national swimmers who has brought honour and glory to the country.

Miniruwani represented Sri Lanka at the 1st South Asia Swimming Championships held in Islamabad, Pakistan in September this year and obtained the highest amount of 23 points, in the women's events. She won two silvers and five bronze medals at this meet.

She has won a total of four Silver and nine bronze medals (a total of 13 medals) at the South Asian Games held in 2004, 2006 and 2007. A truly remarkable feat for a 15-year-old girl!

She became the women's champion at the National Short Course Swimming Championships in April 2007, winning six events and establishing two records. She also won four gold medals at the National Sports Festival 2007.

At the under-16 age group level, she became the National Pentathlon Champion, National Age Group Champion, and Sri Lanka Schools Champion, winning a total of 12 events and establishing four records last year.

Miniruwani is by far the best performer among the female swimmers for the year 2007 with the highest number of points at the First South Asian Swimming Championships in Pakistan, highest number of national records (long course and short course) highest number of age group records and total of 27 first places and more than 50 new records.She attributes her success to the support extended by her parents.

Leslie Fernando