Colombo, Jan 30, 11.15AM – Hiruki de Silva, a silver medalist at the South Asian Games and a student at Gateway College, has been crowned the Most Outstanding School Swimmer of the Year 2023. This prestigious award was presented at the second Sportsunleash Schools Sports Awards 2024, a dazzling event organized by SPORTSINFO in collaboration with the Institute of Sports Management (IOSM) at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).
De Silva, who trains at Killer Whale Aquatics, is not just a star at school; she also holds the Double National Championship title in Long Course and Short Course from last year’s Sri Lanka Swimming Nationals conducted by the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union. Her incredible talent extends to both Long Course and Short Course competitions, making her a Double National Champion in both categories last year. Impressively, in 2019, she clinched the Junior National Championship in both Long Course and Short Course as well.
At the Long Course Nationals, Hiruki’s excellence shone brightly as she secured five gold medals in 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, and 200m IM. Her prowess continued in the Short Course Nationals, where she claimed five gold medals including 50m Butterfly.
Recognized as a leading freestyle swimmer in Sri Lanka, Hiruki also showcased her skills on the international stage, participating in major tournaments such as the 9th World Aquatic Junior Championship and the Singapore National Championship.
Expressing her joy, Hiruki shared, “I feel very grateful and proud to be awarded the most outstanding swimmer of the year 2023 award. I want to thank my coach, Mr. Manoj Abeysinghe, for helping me with my swimming and getting me to where I am today, My school Gateway College Colombo, and my parents for helping me achieve this and make this dream of mine come true. My main target is to one day represent my country in the Olympic Games.”
De Silva holds the title of the second-highest swimmer based on FINA points, earning an impressive 651 in Women’s 100m Freestyle, trailing only behind Ganga Seneviratne’s 693 FINA points in the women’s 100m Backstroke. Her best performance in 100m Freestyle is a remarkable 59.57 in the World Championship Selection Trial 2023.
Joining KWA in 2018, De Silva made a stunning debut at the 2019 South Asian Games by winning the Women’s 4X100m Freestyle silver medal at the age of 14. Her performance was nothing short of extraordinary, as she, alongside her teammates, set a Sri Lanka Record with 4:00.18.
At present, De Silva holds four junior national records in Women’s 400m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle, and 50m Freestyle. Her representation of Sri Lanka in events like the Junior Commonwealth Games, Singapore Nationals, and the Asian Age Group Championship showcases her commitment to excellence. Recently, her club, Killer Whale Aquatics, honored her with a Lion Award for proudly representing Sri Lanka at these esteemed events.
Hiruki de Silva, a true sensation in the Sri Lankan swimming, continues to inspire and dreams of one day representing her country on the grand Olympic stage.
