Officials at the press briefing: From left Nishanthe Piyasena, NOC President Hemasiri Fernando and Rimaz Marzook Manager Marketing Crocodile Lanka. |
Heshan Unamboowe will lead Sri Lanka at the first ever Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to be held in Singapore from August 14 to 24.
This was announced by the National Olympic Committee (NOC) Chairman Hemasiri Fernando when the team was summoned for a preparatory programme at the National Olympic Committee Headquarters.
Immediately after announcing the team swimmers Heshan Unamboowe and Madhawee Weerathunga left for a special coaching stint in Australia for the event. They will be back on August 8 and will fly to Singapore on August 11. Unamboowe hails from Trinity College Kandy and Madhawee Weerathunga is from Mahamaya College Kandy.
Two other members of the team - Table Tennis players Hasintha Shashiranga and Nuwani Navodya (both from Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda) - left to Hungary and China respectively for further training. All these scholarships are being sponsored by the National Olympic Committee. They too will be back in time to join the Sri Lanka team to Singapore.
The official formal men’s wear clothing provider to the Sri Lanka team is Crocodile Lanka.
It was explained to the team that the Singapore event that the young athletes between the ages of 14 to 18 will be the centre of attention. Not only will they compete against each other and also learn, live and interact with one another as a community of youth during the YOG.
The Sri Lanka team (From Left) Nuwani Navodya, Shehani Lekha, Hasintha Shashiranga, Indunil Herath, Dilshan Kariyawasam, Heshan Unamboowa (Capt) and Madhawee Weerathunga. |
The event has drawn 3,600 young athletes between the ages 14 to 18 and 5,000 young athletes and officials. 205 National Olympic Committees and 1,200 media representatives will be present at the event.
The participants and officials gathered at the NOC Headquarters amidst great excitement and expectation. This is the first time that a lad from Trinity is leading a team of this nature. Trinity better known for Rugby took up to swimming after its well-equipped pool came into being in the seventies. Before that their swimming was restricted to the confines of the adjacent Governor’s Pool.
The list of participants, events and officials for the meet are:
Swimming: Heshan Unamboowe 100M Backstroke, 50M Backstroke, Madhawee Weeratunga 50M Freestyle, 100M Frestyle.
Table Tennis: Hasintha Shashiranga Men’s Singles and Nuwani Navodya Women’s Singles - Both hail from Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda.
Badminton: Dilshan Kariyawasam (Ananda College) Men’s Singles and Lekha Shehani (Our Lady of Victory Convent Moratuwa) Women’s Singles.
Athletics: Indunil Herath of Walala A. Rathnayake Central College Manikhinna. Event 1000M.
Team Officials: Premlath Uyanhewa (Swimming), Chathura de Silva (Table Tennis), Shimal Aponsu (Badminton), Susanthe Fernando (Athletics), Donald Wijegunawardena (Masseur),Dilmini Direckze (Lady Chaperone), Nishanthe Piyasena (Chef De Mission). |
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