Colombo, Feb 10, 8AM – Three talented swimmers from Asian International School, namely Christina Perumal, Sithuki Yonara, and Nikhileshawaran Kumaraguru, brought glory to Sri Lanka by clinching four bronze medals out of the total 10 swimming bronze medals earned by the Sri Lankan team during the three-day championship at BIMSTEC. The triumphant team returned to Sri Lanka on Saturday morning, carrying the pride of their achievements.
Christina Perumal, displaying remarkable prowess, secured two bronze medals, emerging as the first athlete to secure a medal for Sri Lanka on the opening day of the championship. Perumal excelled in the women’s 200m Breaststroke, clocking 2:52.68 in her debut international appearance. Although she narrowly missed a podium finish in the women’s 100m Breaststroke, finishing fifth with a time of 1:19.00, her achievements remained commendable.
Sithuki Yonara, another standout performer, also claimed two bronze medals in her inaugural international appearance. Yonara’s stellar performance in the women’s 200m Backstroke, where she clocked 2:39.86, earned her the coveted bronze medal. Despite narrowly missing the podium in the women’s 100m Backstroke and women’s 400m Freestyle, where she secured fourth place in both events, Yonara also excelled in the women’s 50m Backstroke, finishing fifth with a time of 34.80.
Perumal and Yonara joined forces to secure the women’s 4X100m Medley Relay bronze medal for Sri Lanka, alongside teammates Amaiah Rasool (St Bridget’s Convent) and Dinali Karunadasa (Visakha Vidyalaya) , with an impressive time of 4:55.09.
Among the male swimmers from AIS, Nikhileshawaran Kumaraguru exhibited remarkable talent by clinching the men’s 4X100m Medley Relay bronze medal for Sri Lanka, alongside teammates Binura Thalagala (Lyceum Wattala), MF Muhammad (Zahira College), and Manuja Gamage (Ananda College), with a time of 4:10.71. Kumaraguru also excelled in individual events, finishing fourth in the men’s 50m Butterfly with a time of 26.16. Despite narrowly missing the podium in the men’s 100m Butterfly, where he finished in 56.76, his spirited performance earned him admiration.
Unfortunately, AIS team member Kashika Vishalini represented Sri Lanka but did not secure any podium finishes, although her participation contributed to the team’s overall performance.
The outstanding achievements of Christina Perumal, Sithuki Yonara, and Nikhileshawaran Kumaraguru have not only brought pride to Asian International School but have also highlighted the immense talent and potential of Sri Lankan swimmers on the international stage.
