Arunodaya College Jaffna a School which boasts of a history of over a century has approximately 1200 students on roll at present. They entered a team of eighteen to compete at the 2012 all island Athletics Championships held at the D.A. Rajapaksa Stadium in Beliatta and their performance was impressive indeed. All eighteen had entered [...]

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The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

The tale of a dedicated Pole Vault coach from Jaffna

Text and Pictures by P.D. de Silva
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S. Thanuja of Arunodhaya Vidyalaya Jaffna in action in the girls’s under 19 event at National Schools Games at Baliatta.

Arunodaya College Jaffna a School which boasts of a history of over a century has approximately 1200 students

Sinniah Baskaran PTI and Pole Vault Coach of Arunodaya College Jaffna.

on roll at present. They entered a team of eighteen to compete at the 2012 all island Athletics Championships held at the D.A. Rajapaksa Stadium in Beliatta and their performance was impressive indeed.

All eighteen had entered for the pole vault events besides the others (a total of 28). They captured three golds three silvers and four bronze medals in the pole vault and gold in the high jump for girls Under 19.

The success these athletes had was due to their dedication and the tireless efforts of Coach Sinnaiah Baskaran. Thirty-five-year-old Baskaran an athlete himself has served as a PTI for the past eleven years. He started his career as a coach when times were hard and instincts told him that the students who attended training had the making of pole vaulters and he concentrated on it.

Arunodaya College initially entered students coached by Baskaran for the all island Schools Athletic Championship in 2007. His efforts were justly rewarded when S. Navandeeda clinched a bronze medal in the Under 21 Boys event.

Year 2008 saw Shanmugaraja Thanuja clearing the bar at 2.35 meters in the Under 17 girls’ event to win gold. K. Kanareewan won a bronze in the boys under 21 events.

The haul of gold medals was increased to three in 2009. M. Thiriwaran won the event for Boys under 17, Shanmugaraja Thanuja for Girls under 19 and K. Kanareewan maintained his supremacy in the boys Under 21 events. It was a one and two in the Under 17 events for Boys because T. Anojan took the silver.

T.M. Devendran Chairman Schools (North and East) Athletic Development.

Shanmugaraja Thanuja, Aribdrawan Pavithra and A. Roshan won gold medals in the Girls under 19, Girls under 17 and Boys under 17 events in 2010. P. Jakshana was second in the Under 19 Girls event winning silver.

Thanuja, the current record holder for the Pole Vault event for Girls’ Under-21 and winner of seven gold medals at the All Islands Athletic Championships in a career that spanned for five years.

Then year 2011 was a memorable year for Baskaran. His blue eyed girls Shanmugaraja Thanuja and Arindrawan Patinthra established a record in the Under 19 and Under 17 Pole Vault events Thanuja vaulted a height of 3.10 meters while Pavithra recorded a highest of 3.0 meters B. Lanawan won gold in the U 17 boys Pole Vault while Thanuja won a silver medal for the Under 21 girls high jump and R. Kaven took silver in the Pole Vault. The athletes from Arunodaya bagged four bronze medals that year.

Thanuja and Pavithra bettered their Pole Vault records this year by 01 meters. B. Nithushan won the Pole Vault for boys Under 17. J. Hogga Iroshan took silver and B. Lanavan the bronze in the Pole Vault for Boys under 19. M. Hensika and R. Janani took the bronze and silver medals in the under 19 events for girls in the under 19 event the girls from Arunodaya won all three medals. Pavithra the gold, I Mary Poustina the silver and G. Dilaxshana the bronze Thanuja won gold and R. Jakshana the bronze in the Pole Vault for Girls under 21 and Thanuja won her seventh and final gold medal in the all island schools meet winning the High Jump.

It is time that officials take into consideration the continued performance and capabilities of Coach Sinnaiah Baskaran and all the athletes of Arunodaya College led by idols of the likes of Thanuja and Pavithra and provide them with facilities and training to enable them to rewrite the National Athletic Records books in the near future.

 




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