| Sports |
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Inheriting the oar in style |
| By Natasha Fernandopulle |
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| Sajeev De Silva |
Sajeev De Silva (17) a student of S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia was awarded the ‘Oarsman of the Year’ trophy 2008 by the Colombo Rowing Club due to his outstanding achievement in the year 2008.
He has been rowing since the age of 13 and is currently a first year Coloursman. “My father was also an oarsman and that is how I got in to the sport,” Sajeev said.
His current coach is Chevantha Sirimanne and says he is thankful to him as well as to the rigorous training sessions he is involved in, as put together, they have really helped him improve in the sport.
Rowing aside, he also takes an interest in swimming and scuba diving but these are more or less hobbies, he says, where as rowing is his first love. Sajeev says rowing is a physically demanding sport which needs a lot of strength and stamina, adding, “You have to keep in touch with it all the time.”
In terms of sacrifices, he says, “The biggest sacrifice when you are an oarsman is time, as it is very time consuming and therefore it is hard to commit to anything else.”
Among the Club Regatta’s he has won in 2008 are the Gordon Armstrong Junior Sculls – HMS Enterprise Fours, the Wardrope Intermediate Sculls – Centenary Oar Fours and the most senior sculling event, that of the Herman Sirimanne Sculls – Calvin Sirimanne Double Sculls.
Sajeev has also represented the Colombo Rowing Club at the Regatta at the 71st Madras-Colombo Regatta 2008, held in Madras, where he participated in the B Double Scull and the B Scull.
He won the A Scull and the A Pair with record timings at the 35th Royal Thomian Regatta 2008, where the Thomian team won the overall trophy.
“I hope to represent Sri Lanka some day,” Sajeev said, adding, “The races I’ve won have given me the experience I need and have helped me get better in the sport.”
“I am currently studying for my London Advanced Level exams and I have a year left,” he said.
“Even though I have to train six days a week, I manage to find time for my studies,” says Sajeev and goes on to say, “Wanting to win is what keeps me in this sport.” |
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