Another first for Sri Lanka:

Waidyatilaka appointed ITO by Int. Paralympic Comm.

P.H.D. Waidyatilaka has scored another first for Sri Lanka. He has passed the International Technical Officials (ITO) exam conducted by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and has been included in the Panel of IPC- ITOs for the period 2013 to 2016.

Incidentally Waidyatilaka is the only International Technical Official of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in Sri Lanka . He has been an IAAF international technical official since the inception of the Technical Officials Education and Certification System (TOECS) of the IAAF. At every examination for ITOs which is conducted every four years Waidyatilaka has topped the list of ITOs from Asia.

As an ITO Waidyatilaka has officiated in all the major championships in the world including, Olympic Games, World Champinships, Commonwealth Games, World University Games. He has also been the Technical Delegate at several IAAF Diamond League and Golden League Championships.

In the Asian region he has officiated at Asian Games, Asian championships, Asian Grand Prix, South Asian Games and South East Asian Games.

Waidya was an outstanding athlete during his school and university days. As a junior athlete from Richmond College , Galle he established a record in the 80 yds. Hurdles at the Southern Province meet and won the same event at the Public Schools meet . As a senior he repeated the feat by establishing a new Southern Province record in the 120yds. Hurdles and winning the same event at the Public Schools meet in Colombo. He was also the Junior National champion in Hurdles.

He continued his athletics at the University of Ceylon and was the University champion in 110m Hurdles and 400m hurdles through out his four year career as an engineering student at the University.