Jayden de Silva shatters 10-year-old backstroke record at IISSC 2025

COLOMBO, Nov 8, 2025 (ePRESS) – Jayden de Silva of Stafford International School created a splash on Day 1 of the 30th Inter-International School Swimming Championship (IISSC) 2025 by breaking a 10-year-old Boys Under-16 100m Backstroke meet record and setting another in the 50m Butterfly. The championship, organized by Asian International School, began at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo on Saturday.

De Silva, a 15-year-old national squad member, clocked 1:04.25 to win the 100m Backstroke gold, erasing the previous record of 1:05.84 set by Vihanga Perera of Gateway College Colombo in 2015. Later, he set a new meet record in his favorite event, the Boys Under-16 50m Butterfly, touching 27.22 to surpass the 2022 record of 27.31 held by Yonal de Silva of Lyceum International School Wattala.

Stafford teammate Shaqib Riyaj also shone, breaking the Boys Under-20 50m Breaststroke record with 30.87, bettering last year’s 31.36 record set by Vinul Senanayake of Wycherley International School Colombo.

Gateway College Colombo’s Hashel Senarath set two new meet records. He first broke the nine-year-old Boys Under-14 50m Butterfly record with 28.38, erasing Amjad Hasan’s 2016 mark of 28.66, and earlier, he had smashed the seven-year-old Boys Under-14 200m Individual Medley record, finishing in 2:30.88 to better Janidu Gangahagedara’s 2:32.90 from 2018.

Elizabeth Moir School’s Okitha Gunasekara also impressed, setting a new Boys Under-20 200m Individual Medley record with 2:14.78, shattering Shaqib Riyaj’s 2024 mark of 2:18.13. In the younger categories, Ometh Pathirana of Lyceum International School Ratnapura clocked 1:15.38 to break the Boys Under-10 100m Freestyle record.

On the girls’ side, Horizon College International’s Sandini Nihinsa lowered the Girls Under-10 50m Backstroke record to 40.45, while Lyceum International School Nugegoda’s Chanudi Kumarapperuma claimed the Girls Under-20 50m Butterfly in 30.47. Visakya Dias of Lyceum International School Ratnapura set two new meet records in the Girls Under-12 100m Freestyle (1:08.90) and 50m Breaststroke (39.04). Sandini Nihinsa also added the Girls Under-10 100m Freestyle title with 1:20.75, and Sasha Rajapakse of The British School in Colombo clocked 1:02.01 to break the Girls Under-16 100m Freestyle record.

The two-day championship features 850 swimmers from 21 international schools in Sri Lanka. After 57 events on Day 1, 13 new meet records were established. Lyceum International School Wattala leads the combined team standings with 533 points, followed by Lyceum International School Ratnapura (427) and Lyceum International School Nugegoda (307). Stafford International School is tied in sixth place with Elizabeth Moir School, each on 151 points. (www.epress.lk)

Boys New Meet Records

1. Boys Under-16 100m Backstroke

   • Swimmer: Jayden de Silva (Stafford International School)

   • Time: 1:04.25

   • Previous Record: 1:05.84 by Vihanga Perera (Gateway College Colombo, 2015)

2. Boys Under-16 50m Butterfly

   • Swimmer: Jayden de Silva (Stafford International School)

   • Time: 27.22

   • Previous Record: 27.31 by Yonal de Silva (Lyceum International School Wattala, 2022)

3. Boys Under-20 50m Breaststroke

   • Swimmer: Shaqib Riyaj (Stafford International School)

   • Time: 30.87

   • Previous Record: 31.36 by Vinul Senanayake (Wycherley International School Colombo, 2024)

4. Boys Under-14 50m Butterfly

   • Swimmer: Hashel Senarath (Gateway College Colombo)

   • Time: 28.38

   • Previous Record: 28.66 by Amjad Hasan (Lyceum International School Wattala, 2016)

5. Boys Under-14 200m Individual Medley

   • Swimmer: Hashel Senarath (Gateway College Colombo)

   • Time: 2:30.88

   • Previous Record: 2:32.90 by Janidu Gangahagedara (Lyceum International School Nugegoda, 2018)

6. Boys Under-20 200m Individual Medley

   • Swimmer: Okitha Gunasekara (Elizabeth Moir School)

   • Time: 2:14.78

   • Previous Record: 2:18.13 by Shaqib Riyaj (Stafford International School, 2024)

7. Boys Under-10 100m Freestyle

   • Swimmer: Ometh Pathirana (Lyceum International School Ratnapura)

   • Time: 1:15.38

   • Previous Record: 1:15.45 by Sithum Rajapaksa (Lyceum International School Panadura, 2024)

Girls New Meet Records

1. Girls Under-10 50m Backstroke

   • Swimmer: Sandini Nihinsa (Horizon College International, Malabe)

   • Time: 40.45

   • Previous Record: 42.80 by Sithuki Yonara (Royal Institute)

2. Girls Under-20 50m Butterfly

   • Swimmer: Chanudi Kumarapperuma (Lyceum International School Nugegoda)

   • Time: 30.47

   • Previous Record: 30.62 by Thiany Chido Riddihoughy (OSC, 2016)

3. Girls Under-12 100m Freestyle

   • Swimmer: Visakya Dias (Lyceum International School Ratnapura)

   • Time: 1:08.90

   • Previous Record: 1:09.59 by Tevindee Methlini (Lyceum International School Wattala, 2017)

4. Girls Under-12 50m Breaststroke

   • Swimmer: Visakya Dias (Lyceum International School Ratnapura)

   • Time: 39.04

   • Previous Record: 42.03 by Thinaya Jayaratne

5. Girls Under-10 100m Freestyle

   • Swimmer: Sandini Nihinsa (Horizon College International, Malabe)

   • Time: 1:20.75

   • Previous Record: 1:21.05 by Thinaya Jayaratne (Lyceum International School Panadura, 2014)

6. Girls Under-16 100m Freestyle

   • Swimmer: Sasha Rajapakse (The British School in Colombo)

   • Time: 1:02.01

   • Previous Record: 1:03.38 by Yunaya Perera (Lyceum International School Gampaha, 2024)

✅ Total New Meet Records on Day 1: 13

IISSC 2025 – Team Rankings Through Event 57 (Day 1)