Heshan Unamboowe - a true champion in swimming

by Upananda JAYASUNDERA - Kandy Sports Special Corr.

SWIMMING: Heshan Unamboowe - the swimming star of Trinity College, Kandy has had a successful swimming career from the time that he took to swimming in 2003. He seems to improve with every meet that he participates in.

With each passing year he has improved on his timings and in the years 2008 and 2009 he has really hit the top. The Sri Lanka Schools Sports Council has closely monitored his swimming and awarded the Up And Coming Sportsmen's Trophy for those two years.

Besides winning the Sri Lanka Schools Sports Council Awards, Unamboowe also won the prestigious Trinity Lion for his excellence in sports at the age of 14 years.

Unamboowe really has improved with each passing meet and has represented Sri Lanka at many meets abroad. He started off with the Chennai - Sri Lanka Schools Championship Meet in 2003 and ever since he established a record in the 50 metres back stroke event in Chennai, never looked back and kept on improving with each meet. Then at the 4th Asian Age Group Meet in Bangkok, he won a gold medal, a silver medal and a bronze medal and in 2006 at the Asian Cup Meet in Singapore, repeated his earlier performance with a gold, silver and bronze medal. He has also swim in Malaysia and captained the schools team and won a bronze medal.

A real champion keeps improving it is said and this is so of Heshan Unamboowe and at the National Aquatic Championships in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 he was in fine form in the pool and was adjudged the National Champion, establishing several Sri Lanka and National Records.

He was seen in full flight at the National Sports Festival in Colombo in 2006 and 2007 and at Belliatta in 2008 in swimming events and was picked as the Best Sportsman (swimming) at the 32nd, 33rd and 34th National Sports Festivals in 2006, 2007 and 2008 establishing 6 National Festival Games Records.

Last year, he represented Sri Lanka at the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Manchester (England) and was successful in establishing four national records. Then, he captained the Sri Lanka team at the Asian Swimming and Waterpolo Championships in Islamabad, Pakistan and won two gold medals and five silver medals. Then he won a silver medal in the 100 metres Back Stroke in Indonesia at the fifth Asian Age Group Meet.