Athletics: Over 3000 athletes in action at ISAC 2017

With over 3000 athletes on show Lyceum International School Wattala will aim at defending their title when the International Schools' Athletic Championship (ISAC) comes alive for 2017 at the Diyagama Stadium in Homagama from February 25 to 27. 

Lyceum Wattala is one of the 24 schools contesting at this year's ISAC, a unique platform for athletes from international schools to showpiece their skills. 

The meet will begin at 8.00am and end at 6.00pm on all three days.

Among the top contenders are Gateway College Colombo, who emerged overall runners-up to Lyceum Wattala and the three Lyceum International Schools of Panadura, Nugegoda and Ratnapura, who finished third, fourth and fifth overall last year. 

This year’s ISAC has special significance as it will be the eighth occasion that Lyceum International Schools will be taking over the challenge of organising the meet. 

Around 3000 athletes from the 24 International Schools will compete in 130 events for both boys and girls. 

Over 20,000 spectators including students, parents, relatives, staff members and cheering squads from The International Schools of Sri Lanka (TISSL) member schools and those participating, are expected to be present.

The ISAC is conducted in accordance with the competition rules and regulations of both TISSL as well as the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) and will include electronic timing and measurements. 

The competition will also be conducted by over 300 officials as per the rules of the Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka. 

Each competitor will also be given a unique Identity Card by TISSL for easy identification.

The ISAC now boasts of being transformed into a fully-computerized with real-time web based entries to instantly access results and scores over the Internet via the ISAC website http://isac.lyceum.lk. 

This user-friendly website will provide all necessary information including past meet records, the current sponsorship proposal and a full list of competitors for this year’s meet.

"Over the past 17 years of existence of the ISAC, the standard of athletics has advanced to an extent where TISSL member schools have not only been able to produce skilled, professional athletes capable of representing Sri Lanka at International track and field athletic championships abroad, but also produce well balanced global citizens as well," stated Kumari Grero, the Chairperson of ISAC 2017 and Coordinating Principal of Lyceum International Schools.

Grero also elaborated that organising an event of this magnitude would not be possible if not for the continuous support received from esteemed service providers both in higher education and the consumer market, who have always come forward to support extra-curricular activities of this nature, in their bid to promote healthy minds in a healthy body as well as team work and leadership. 

The International Schools’ Athletic Championships (ISAC), which commenced in 2001 and was the brainchild of the founder of Gateway College, the Late R.I.T. Alles, a well respected educationalist. 

At present it has established itself as the biggest national flagship sporting event in the school calendar of 25 International Schools affiliated with TISSL.

In 2004, Lyceum International School, Nugegoda, took over the responsibility of organizing this prestigious event from Gateway College, who organised it for three years since its inception. 

Thereafter, the hosting of the ISAC kept alternating between the two schools every three years. In 2015, Lyceum took over the reins from Gateway once again, to serve as the official organiser for the next three consecutive years - 2016, 2017 and 2018.

TISSL member schools competing in this year’s ISAC are Asian International School, Alethea International School, Belvoir College International, British School in Colombo, Burhani Serendib School, Colombo International School in Colombo, Colombo International School in Kandy, Elizabeth Moir International School, Gateway College in Colombo, Gateway College in Kandy, Ilma International Girls School, Leeds International School, Lyceum International School Nugegoda, Lyceum International School Panadura, Lyceum International School Ratnapura, Lyceum International School Wattala, Leighton Park International School, OKI International School, Overseas School of Colombo, Regent International College, Royal Institute Colombo, Stafford International School, St. Nicholas International College and Wycherley International School.