Ruwan Manawadu, coaching
St. Joseph’s College holds a proud record of winning the Sri Lanka All Island Swimming championship for 14 years in succession and the man behind the scene is none other than their coach who had rendered his untiring services to lift the Joes to the present position in schools swimming.
Ruwan Manawadu an old Mahindian got his first appointment to serve as an assistant swimming coach from 1982 to 1990 in the Rathduwa and Ratgama areas in Galle District. He came to the limelight when under his guidance Dodanduwa Piyarathana Madya Maha Vidyalaya finished as the second runner-up in a schools swimming competition.
St. Joseph’s College recognising Manawadu’s capabilities as a swimming coach was offered an assistant coach’s post in 1990 till 1999. He was appointed the head coach in 1999. Manawadu is involved in Jose swimming for 27 years.
Speaking to the Sunday Times the experienced coach said in the early days only a handful of children at St. Joseph’s took up swimming as there were only two or three schools took part in this water sport. Later when recognised schools like Ananda and Nalanda along with a large number of schools around the country took up this sport competition became tougher and tougher every year.
He went on to say further that swimming has reached a high standard with the modern day scientific training. At St. Joseph’s swimming is started from under 9 year age in the schools academy. At the start the tiny tots are coached to learn the basics in all four strokes. Later they picked the best lot and trained them in technique and endurance. These classes are held in the mornings starting at 5.15 am. In the final stages the swimmers are taught to compete in higher level competitions.
He also said that the swimmers at St. Joseph’s are all out to maintain their proud record in swimming by winning the schools championships and after they concentrate more on their studies rather than continuing the sport to the next level.
Manawadu proudly said that swimmers under his guidance had represented the country at Olympics, Commonwealth Games, South East Asia and Asia level. Conrad Francis competed in Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004 while Milinda Wickremasinghe and Nilmin Arasakularatne represented the country at Commonwealth Games.
Ashen Fernando, Sahan Rupasinghe and Eshan Sovis took part in the Asian swimming championships. Three Josephians – Kaushal Manawadu, Panduka Gunasekera and Fabian Perera – have taken part in the World Life saving Championship for three consecutive years in Australia.
As seniors concentrate more on the A/L exam it is very difficult to get them for training in the morning and evening. He also said that for the last few years he couldn’t produce a swimmer to represent the country as the boys devote their time mostly for studies. You can’t blame the boys for that as they will have to face the present educational trend.
Manawadu paid a rich tribute for the Rector along with the other staff members, parents and old boys for their noble support helping him to take Josephian swimming to the highest level and for the students for their dedication, application and sacrifice making his job easy.
- LR Pic by Priyantha Wickremarachchi