Tharushi, Dilranga win best athlete titles

Wattegama Educational Zone is home to over 80 schools including country’s schools athletics stronghold Ratnayake Central, Walala. And when the annual Zonal Championships are held it is a foregone conclusion that the boys’ and girls’ teams of the said school would emerge as champions. As expected, Ratnayake Central won both the boys’ and girls’ titles of the Wattegama Zonal championship which concluded at Digana on Friday.

Apart from the overall championships, Ratnayake Central also won the best athletes tiles in the boys’ and girls’ categories. Their Asian Junior Championship medallists Thrushi Karunaratne and Shehan Dilranga bagged the awards for their outstanding performances in the 400 metres and the 800 metres respectively.

Karunaratne’s 56.2 seconds feat in the Under 20 girls’ 400 metres won her the best athlete title in the girls’ category. Dilranga clocked 1:59.9 seconds to win the Under 20 boys’ 800 metres. That won him the best athlete title in the boys’ category.

For the girls’ overall title Ratnayake Central collected as many as 613 points. Wattegama Balika were the runners up with 105 points. Rajawela Hindu were placed third with 58 points, while Wavinna KV (44), Bandaranaike National School (41)and Rajawela KV (26) finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively in the girls’ category.

Ratnayake Central aggregated 324 points to win the boys’ title. Bandaranaike NS (78), Pathadumbara MV (77), Rajawela Hindu (65), Kandy Model School (53) and Rajawela KV (45) secured the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth places respectively.

Manjula Madahapola, Secretary of the Governor’s office was the chief guest of the closing ceremony where over 30 schools bands and 48 platoons added to the pageantry. Athula Jayawardana, Assistant Director (Sports and Physical Education) of Department of Education, Central Province was the Special Guest.

The championship was organised by Susantha Fernando, Assistant Director of Sports of Wattegama Zone under the auspices of Tharanga Gunarathna, Wattegama Zonal Director of Education.

Tharushi Karunaratne receiving the best athlete award from Athula Jayawardana, Assistant Director (Sports and Physical Education) of Department of Education, Central Province, as Susantha Fernando, Assistant Director of Sports of Wattegama Zone and Tharanga Gunarathna, Wattegama Zonal Director of Education look on.