Udayanga wins Lions swimming open
Age group winners
Tharindu Udayanga de Silva from Ambalangoda Lions Swimming Club won the Open Men’s championship at the 31st Matara Polhena 2km sea swim held at the Polhena beach recently. Being still a schoolboy at Madampa Central College, Ambalangoda this youngster’s first win was the 79th Mt. Lavinia 2 Mile open sea swimming championship followed by the 51st Wellawatta 6 mile open sea swim and this victory at the 31st Polhena 2km swim was Udayanga’s third consecutive win in two months of this year.
Tharindu finished the swim with a time of 18mins.51secs to be the worthy winner over 130 men and women competitors. This lads performance at swimming will be a challenge for the seniors swimmers. In the Open Women’s championship 16 year-old schoolgirl from Ambalangoda Devananda College, Sashini Navodya finishing the course with a time of 23mts.12secs. was crowned the winner to be this up and coming star’s second successive victory at open women’s championships. Her first was winning the Wellawatta 6 mile open swim.
Gishan Ravindu clinched the second place in the Men’s Open swim while the third place won by Nimesh Kavindu are both members of the Ambalangoda Lions Swimming Club. Kaushalya Woshini and K.R. Dilanka both from Ambalangoda Dolphin Club won the second and third places respectively at the Open Women’s event. Lasindu Madhawa of Ambalangoda Dolphin Club and Nirmani Nimsara from Matara Sujatha Balika won the Best Youngsters awards for showing remarkable improvements at the meet. H.M.A. Bandara and P.K. Seneviratne from Civil Security Department were adjudged the Best Veteran swimmers in the Men’s and Women’s categories.
Results:
Open Men – 1. Tharindu Udayaga de Silva (Ambalangoda Lions Swimming Club 18mins.51secs), 2. Gishan Ravindu (Ambalangoda Lions 20mins.02 secs), 3. Nimesh Kavindu (Ambalangoda Lions 20mins. 05secs), 4. Gavindu Kavishka (Ambalangoda Dolphin 20mins. 57secs), 5. Rashen Dilshan (Ambalangoda Lions 22mins.12secs)
Open Women – 1. Sashini Navodya (Ambalangoda Lions 23mins.12secs), 2. Kaushalya Woshini (Ambalangoda Dolphin 24mins. 42secs), 3. K.R. Dilanka (Ambalangoda Dolphin 28mins.07secs), 4. T.H. Nandani (Civil Security Department 29mins.42secs), 5. Vihanga Dilmini (Matara Sujatha Balika 30mins.02secs)
Open Women's winners Shashini Nayodya (Center)Open Men's winners Thaindu Udayanga de Silva (Center)