NOC-Crysbro initiate second phase of ‘Next Champ’
Amores Sellar, the Marketing Manager of Crysbro (2nd from left) and Suresh Subramaniam, the President of NOC (centre) exchange the agreement for Next Champ Phase II at the NOC auditorium
After the success of the inaugural NOC-Crysbro ‘Next Champ’ programme, which was initiated in 2020 with the vision of nurturing and enhancing potential medal winning junior athletes, the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and Crysbro announced the second phase by extending the support to 13 athletes set to bring victory to Sri Lanka on international stage.
Through the first phase of the NOC-Crysbro Next Champ scholarship programme many youngsters were given a pathway to bring honour to their country, and Nethmi Ahinsa Fernando, the 18-year-old wrestler who bagged a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, is the ideal case in point to prove the programme’s value.
“After winning the bronze medal at Commonwealth Games in 2022, I received support from many channels, financially and in other ways. But for me to get there, until the point of winning the medal, it was the Next Champ programme of NOC and Crysbro and my master (coach), who supported and encouraged me. I’m thankful to them,” stated Nethmi at the launch event held at the NOC Auditorium last Thursday.
In addition to Nethmi, a female wrestler who competes under the 53kg weight category, 12 others were presented with scholarships for the next two years, during where the Asian Games and the Olympics will be held. Among other recipients are Chamodya Keshani (wrestling 55kg), Amaya Ranasinghe (taekwondo 42kg), Dumindu Abeywickrema (badminton), Sachini Rajika (weightlifting 55kg), Minuwanda de Silva (weightlifting 55kg), M.D.M. Premarathna (weightlifting 45kg), Nilupul Pehesara (high jump), Mithun Raj (discuss throw, shot putt, hammer throw), Thusen Silva (pole vault), K.L.A. Akalanka (400m hurdles), Ranindi Pehansa (high jump) and K.M.D. Dharshana (400m hurdle).
Crysbro conceived the vision of ‘Next Champ’ almost a half a decade ago, but it blossomed into a full scale junior athletic strategy in 2019 with the advent of the NOC-Crysbro Next Champ initiative. The programme supported 20 fledgling junior athletes who had the promise to deliver locally and internationally. In reality, at the end of the first phase it proved that envisioning has borne the desired result and during the explanation we will dwell upon the details.
“The immense feeling of pride for our country and the forthcoming generations with the NOC-Crysbro Next Champ initiative is very strong, as we championed this area of identifying and supporting the success of aspiring young athletes who were hidden in the rural areas of Sri Lanka, and that effort has grown into a national treasure. We are very thankful to the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, and are excited to once again join forces and play an integral role in bringing pride, success and international recognition to our country. We wish all the very best to our new athletes and hope they dominate the international stage,” an exhilarated, Crysbro Marketing Manager, Amores Sellar stated.
The NOC-Crysbro Next Champ initiative supports and nurtures the growth and development of young and aspiring sportsmen and women, providing them with food supplements, clothing, sporting gear, equipment, training, and a monthly wage to propel them towards successful sporting careers and bring pride to the nation.
The first phase of the initiative discovered high-potential athletes in the likes of Nethmi Ashinsa, who earned a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022, the first medal for Sri Lanka in wrestling at Commonwealth Games. In addition Tharushi Karunaratne brought home the gold medal from the Women’s 800m event at the Asian Athletic Championship 2023.