COLOMBO: (ePRESS) – Sadev Rajakaruna of St. Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa, made history by setting a new Sri Lanka Youth record in the Boys’ 200m event on the second day of the 92nd Ritzbury Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletic Championship at Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Rajakaruna set a new Sri Lanka record in the Boys Under-18 200m sprint, clocking an impressive 21.52 seconds to win the gold medal. This performance erased the previous record of 21.87 seconds, held by Chalith Piumal of Lumbini College Colombo since 2019. Rajakaruna is now the fastest Under-18 boy in Sri Lanka to complete the 200m sprint.
In the same race, JOS Silva of St. Sebastian’s College Kandana secured the silver medal, clocking 21.54 seconds, which also bettered the previous meet record.
Another standout performance came from Commonwealth Youth Games medalist and World Junior semi-finalist Ayomal Akalanka of Ambagamuwa Central College Hatton, who set a new meet record in the Boys Under-20 400m hurdles. Akalanka clocked 52.14 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 52.25 set by KMD Darshana from the same school in 2022.
Rahula College Matara’s HWN Willaddara also shone, setting a new meet record in the Boys Under-16 800m final. Willaddara clocked 1:58.39, breaking the previous record of 1:59.02 set by Avishka Gurusinghe of Senanayake National College Madampe in 2018.
In the Girls Under-18 800m final, South Asian Junior gold medalist Tharushi Abhisheka of Wickramabahu Central College Gampola won er second gold medal, clocking 2:10.15 to break the previous record of 2:13.26 set by Shanika Lakshani of Holy Cross College Gampaha in 2019. Earlier Abhisheka won a gold medal in Girls Under-18 3000m clocking 10:18.8
Savindu Avishka of Dhammissara National School Nattandiya set a new meet record in the Boys Under-18 800m final, clocking 1:53.66 and surpassing the previous record of 1:54.30 set by DMHS Karunaratne of A. Ratnayake Central College Walala in 2017.
In the Girls Under-16 Javelin Throw, WKBB Saheli of Ave Maria Convent Negombo set a new meet record with a throw of 40.01m, breaking the previous record of 37.91m set by LK Hapuarachchi of Sumana Balika Vidyalaya Ratnapura in 2018.
So far, eight new meet records, including one Under-18 Sri Lanka record, have been established in Sri Lanka’s largest school athletics meet, which continues at Sugathadasa Stadium.
