Royal sports stars bask in glory
The winning Royal captains and vice captains with the trophies
2019 proved to be a year where the blood, sweat and tears shed by the sportsmen of Royal College paid off handsomely. Royal College provides opportunities to over a thousand sportsmen of over 30 sports, which is indeed a colossal task that can be managed only by a school of the calibre of Royal College.
The highlight of the year was emerging overall champions at the All-Island National School Games, a coveted award sought after by every school in Sri Lanka. This was achieved as an aggregate of several exceptional performances by the Royal teams.
The table tennis (U-20, U-17), gymnastics (U-20) and tennis (U-20, U-17) teams emerged victorious in the National School Games while chess (U-20), carrom (U-20, U-17), karate (U-20) teams were first runners-up while basketball (U-20) emerged second runners up.
Nadun Bandara broke his own record in the 110m hurdles event at the Senior Tarbat All-Island Athletics meet, claiming the U-18 championship, while sprinter Anupa Liyanagunawardane won the 100m race in style, clocking the lowest possible timing by a Royalist.
In addition, Royal successfully clinched several titles in all island events organised by the respective Schools Associations.
The Royal Tuskers claimed the Singer Schools Rugby League for the third consecutive year. The cricket team won the Division II one-day and two-day encounters and was named the Best Behaved Team. The athletics team was adjudged the best performing school and the basketball team was pronounced the Best Sports Team of the year 2018 at the Sports 1st Allianz Platinum Awards Ceremony.
The boxers in blue and gold emerged first runners-up in the renowned Stubbs Shield while the chess team cleaned up the Sri Lanka Schools Team Championship decisively.
The divers claimed the National Age Group Aquatic Championship, the Royal College Fencing team emerged runners-up at the Sri Lanka Schools Fencing Championship, while the All-Island Squash Championship was also convincingly secured.
The Royal swimmers bagged second place at the annual 2-mile sea swim and the tennis team emerged victorious at the All Island Public Schools Tennis Tournament.
The Royal College weightlifting team claimed the crown at the All-Island Weightlifting Championship and the All-Island Novices Championship.
The Police Cadets Platoon achieved second place at the All-Island Police Camp while the Air Cadet Wing emerged second in the All-Island Air Force Assessment Camp.
Royal Principal B.A. Abeyrathna
The Royal College baseball team completed an unbeaten campaign in 2019 emerging as champions in the U-20 All-Island Baseball Tournament.
Most Royal sporting encounters easily grab the spotlight, seizing the attention of the media and thousands of spectators. In fact, the Bradby Shield encounter between Royal and Trinity draws the attention of over 20,000 spectators and is followed on media by over a million more.
In the 75th Bradby Shield held this year Royal won once again, retaining the shield for the fifth consecutive year.
Several matches against their traditional rivals S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia ended with favourable results for Royal including the limited over cricket tie for the Mustangs trophy, the badminton match for the Ranil Wijesekera Challenge trophy, the 50th Royal-Thomian Rowing Regatta for the T.N. Fernando memorial trophy which was won for the fifth consecutive year, the rugby encounter for the Michael Gunarathne Trophy, the annual Royal-Thomian Scrabble encounter, the Royal-Thomian swimming meet for the Dr. Jey Gunasegaram trophy and the Water Polo clash for the Dr. R.L. Hayman Trophy.
Royal Senior Games Master M.A.M. Riyaz
These champion teams comprised several individuals who have been outstanding this year.
Dumindu Abeywickrama secured a silver and a bronze medal at the South Asian U-21 Badminton Championship and became the youngest Sri Lankan to win medals at the SAG (South Asian Games) in badminton.
Yuganan Baskeran got selected to represent the U-17 National Basketball team.
Minul Doluweera, the former National chess champion, and 14-year-old Ishara Dahanayake were selected for the U-20 World Junior Chess Championship.
Kamil Mishara was appointed captain of the Sri Lanka U-19 cricket team and was crowned the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year. Ahan Wickramasighe and Kamil Mishara represented the Sri Lanka U-19 team in the tour of West Indies.
Six Sailors of the College crew were selected for the Sri Lanka Schools National team.
Shishan Prabudha was selected to represent the Sri Lanka U-19 national football team in the SAFF football tournament.
Thehan Wijemanne and Dhilvan Herath represented Sri Lanka in tennis at the Junior Davis Cup qualifying round held in Thailand.
Kakolya Janmod won two gold and one silver medal in the 8th Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship and won the Asia Pacific Powerlifting Championship in Australia by bagging two gold and two silver medals.
Royal rugby captain Thulaib Hassen led the Sri Lanka U-20 team to victory in the Junior Asia Division 1 Rugby Championships alongside Royalists Fadhil Adahan, Kalindu Nandila, Lahiru Thilakarathne and Tuan Dilshan Jayah.
Ashinsa Herath and Agra Hewage represented Sri Lanka and Royal College in the Asia Junior U-17 and U-15 Badminton Championships.
Druvinka Perera secured a bronze medal in the Men’s Team event in squash at the 13th South Asian Games. Malaka Perera, Sanuda Samson, Sahan Samarasekara and Sanithu Peiris bagged six silver and five bronze medals at the 6th Mayors Cup.
Janul de Silva emerged first runner-up at the WESPA Youth Cup 2019 in scrabble.
Vimuth Hettiarachchi represented Sri Lanka in the King of the Ring International Boxing Championship held in Sweden.
These Royalists have helped keep the blue and gold flag as well as the lion flag flying high. The College administration played a major role in the magnificent performances made by these Royalists spearheaded by the Principal B.A. Abeyrathna.
“The countless hours of practice and numerous sacrifices made by our boys have certainly paid off, bearing witness to our age-old motto Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat – Let he who earns it bear the prize,” said Abeyrathna.
The Assistant Principal and Senior Games Master of Royal College, M.A.M. Riyaz expressed his gratitude to the countless individuals and organisations whose combined efforts contributed to these exceptional performances including the coaches, masters and teachers in charge, RCU, SDS, Games Council, advisory committees, the Prefects’ Council of Royal College 2018/2019, old boys, sponsors, well wishers, parents, drivers and minor staff, and the committed audience who supported Royal in its toughest moments.