Nalanda hit bull’s eye while Devi Balika take girls’ title
Nalanda College Colombo and Devi Balika Vidyalaya prevailed at the inaugural National Schools Shooting Championship which was held at Bandaranayake Central College in Veyangoda on Friday.
Nalanda, who pioneered in taking up and promoting shooting sports among schools, continued their supremacy by amassing an impressive 482 points in the boy’s category. Devi Balika, the first girl’s school in Sri Lanka to take to the sport gathered 336 points dominating the girl’s category.
Devi Balika’s Methsarani Lokuge (right) was adjudged the ‘sharp shooter’ in the girl’s air rifle 10m event at the inaugural National Schools Shooting Championship held at Veyangoda.- Pic by Amila Gamage
In the boy’s class Trinity College emerged runners-up but 94 points behind the champions and Ananda College finished third. Trinity collected 388 points while Ananda trailed behind with a tally of 356 points.
The girl’s category however was impressive than expected as Devi Balika had a close competition from all their rivals. Though the winners were assured of their top spot, hosts Bandaranayake Central surprised the rest by clinching the second spot with 315 points. Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda who produced the ‘sharp shooter’ in the girl’s category won the third place, closely behind with 310 points, while indicating that they are a force to reckon with.
Nalanda shooters grabbed most of the accolades while winning the boy’s air rifle and air pistol events as Lusith Jayaweera who recorded 92 points in the air pistol 10m event clinched the sharp shooter award in that category. Trinity’s H. Pilapitiya who impressed by reaching the target right on spot gathered 86 points to clinch the second place while his team-mate E.A. Jayasinghe finished at third with 61 points.
Nalanda’s Prabuddha Deshan gave his team further boost by recording an impressive 97 points in the boy’s air rifle 10m event, emerging as the sharp shooter in that category as the event took a close battle. Ashan Chanuka from Rahula College Matara fell three points short of target as emerged runner-up with 95 points. Nalanda chances of dominating in the team event were further enhanced by Kavinda Fernando’s heroics as he was placed third in the event with 94 points.
In the boy’s air rifle open event Ananda produced a sharp shooter as G.A. Amarasinghe emerged victorious with 90 points. M.A. Fernando of Maliyadeva College Kurunegala was placed second with 89 points as the third spot was shared by Sachin Maduranga of Rahula Matara and Gihan Jayalath of Sangabodhi Central Nittambuwa after reaching 87 points each.
Devi Balika’s Methsarani Lokuge was adjudged the sharp shooter in the girl’s air rifle 10m event after collecting 93 points to win the event. The petite lass, who had all the possibilities to make a clean sweep, showed some uneasiness in her first major appearance in a shooting competition. The second place was shared by Dinithi Karunaratne of Ratnavali Girl’s School Gampaha and Kaushalya Sandeepani of Visakha Vidyalaya who collected 91 points each. Kaveesha Sathsarani from Bandaranayake Central Veyangoda was the sharp shooter in the girl’s air pistol 10m event.
She showed maturity than other competitors in the event by collecting 58 points while Hansani Jayakody of Devi Balika emerged as runner-up with 53 points. The third place went to Yahani Welahena of Dharmasoka Ambalangoda who recorded 41 points.
Dharmasoka’s Malindya Ravihari won the sharp shooter award by winning the girl’s air rifle open event by recording a highly impressive points tally of 98. Sapuni Piumika of Bandaranayake Central Veyangoda recorded 90 points to finish at second while Ashani Prabuddhika of Gothami Balika Vidyalaya Colombo won the third place with 86 points.
The inaugural National Schools Shooting Championship was held after the schools rifle shooting governing body, the Sri Lanka Schools Shooting Sports Association was formed last year. The event has been in existence since 1994 as an inter-school event with 16 teams taking part. According to officials the inaugural National Schools Shooting Championship drew nearly 700 young shooters from 75 schools from all parts of Sri Lanka.
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