Seven new records established on Day 4
Seven more new records were established at the end of the fourth days proceedings of the 45th Sri Lanka Schools Swimming Championship held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium swimming pool yesterday.
Four new records were established in the morning session and three in the evening and this brings the tally of records tumbled to 31 at the end of the fourth day.
Two swimmers Nabhashi Perera of Sirimavo Bandaranayake Vidyalaya and M.M. Ekneligoda of Ananda added one more record to their names to the two they achieved on day three in the evening session yesterday.
Two swimmers both in the boy’s category Damiru Wickramatunga of Lyceum International School Wattala and Vanuja Kannangara of St Joseph’s had the honour of securing their second successive record breaking feat of the championship.
In fact in the morning session all the four record feats came in the boy’s category with the first being Qaid Farook of St Peter’s who set a new record in the boys U9 50m breaststroke event that of 42.82 to eclipse the existing record of 44.34 set by Pinsara Mahima of Sussex College in 2017.
This followed with Damiru Wickramatunga establishing a new record of 40.00 on the boys U11 50m breaststroke junior event which erased the previous record of 41.34 by M.A. Induwara of S. Thomas’ in 2008.
The third record in the morning session came from Chris Pavithra of Lyceum International School Nugegoda who erased the existing timing of 36.10 set by Bhanuka Jayatilleke of Royal Colombo in 2017 with a new timing of 34.00 while Vanuja Kannangara set a new record in the boys U13 100m breaststroke event that of 1.08.16 erasing the record of 1.11.02 set by Alvin Arulmaran of Gateway College Colombo in 2016.
Nabhashi’s third record feat was in the girls U13 50m butterfly stroke which she ended with a timing of 31.03 bettering the record of 31.15 set by Kimiko Raheem of Asian IS in 2012 while Ekneligoda’s third record was in the boys U9 100m freestyle event that of 1.15.23 which erased the record of 1.16.92 by Pahan de Silva of DSS set in 2010 and the last record breaking feat for the day was by Hiruki de Silva of Gateway College Dehiwala who finished with a timing of 1.05.14 in the girls U13 100, freestyle event eclipsing the record of Amanda Jayasekera of Musaeus that of 1.06.50.
Meanwhile in the overall standings for the championship at the end of proceedings on day four saw the defending champions in the girls and boys categories Mahamaya Girl’s School Kandy and St Joseph’s Colombo maintaining their lead,
Mahamaya who are on the quest of winning the championship for the 19th successive year is being threatened by Visakha Vidyalaya who are close on their heels. Mahamaya on 438 has had their lead reduced to seven points from 32 as Visakha in second place has accumulated 431. They are followed by Lyceum International School Wattala (196), Ladies College (178) and Sirimavo BV (175.5).
St Joseph’s are way ahead in the boys’ category with 498 points followed by Ananda (322), Royal (233), Trinity (192) and Dharmaraja (168). In the Combined Schools category Lyceum IS Wattala leads with 283 points followed by Lyceum IS Nugegoda (236.50), Lyceum IS Panadura (80), British School International Colombo (73) and Asian IS (71).
The championship conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Aquatic Sports Association and sponsored by Nestle Lanka PLC for the 25th successive year will come to an end today with Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Minister of Education gracing the occasion as the chief guest.