It was Thunder and Lightning all the way for the rowing crew of the University of Moratuwa when they beat the University of Colombo by 26 points to 16 at the 26th ‘Battle of the Undergraduates’ held at the Beira Lake in Colombo yesterday.

Tharindi Panduwawala who won the Women’s A-Scull event in adverse weather conditions. Pic by Saman Kariyawasam

The weather gods tried to put a dampener on the event but the Men’s and Women’s Boat Race events were finished off in the rain in fading light adding to the excitement already in the air. This Regatta which was inaugurated in 1980 and has produced many fine oarsmen and women that have gone on to represent the country at the highest level and the level of competition was as intense this time around too.

The Men’s events which were contested for the Prof. Stanley Wijesundra Trophy was won by the University of Moratuwa, as they won the B-Scull, A-Scull, B-Pair, Double Scull, C-Four and the all important Boat Race. Colombo University just managed to win two events in the form of the A-Pair and B-Four.

In the Women’s category the University of Colombo made a clean sweep by winning all the events to take the Lloyd Sirimanne Trophy back to Colombo for the 6th consecutive year. It must be noted that the Women’s category carries no points, and if it did, the result might have gone in favour of the undergraduates from Colombo.

Men’s Category
B-Scull - Ashika Nuwan (UOM)
A-Scull - Lakmal Arandara (UOM)
B-Pair – Ashika Nuwan, Lakmal Andara (UOM)

A-Pair – Kasun Senadeera, Chalinda Akalanka (UOC)
Double Scull – Hirantha Jayasinghe, Pubudu Kumarage (UOM)
C-Four – Geethan Malinda, Thilina Madushanka, Dasun Halange, Vidya Visupperuma, Isuru Thotahewa (UOM)

B-Four – Akila Dakshina, Duleep Maduranga, Kasun Senadeera, Umenda Harshana, Lishan Wickramanayake (UOC)
Boat Race – Madushanke Randika, Thanitha Weerasekara, Laklmal Arandara, Thisum Buddhika, G.L.A.Sunimal (UOM)

Women’s Category
B-Scull – Dilini Jayasekara (UOC)
A-Scull – Tharindi Panduwawala (UOC)
B-Pair – Dilini Jayasekara, Chamali Anuttara (UOC)

A-Pair – Tharindi Panduwawala, Anne Jayaweera (UOC)
Boat Race – Dilini Jayasekara, Chamali Anuttara, Tharindi Panduwawala, Anne Jayaweera, Danushka Withanage (UOC)