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by Bernard Perera

Nuwan Chinthaka Guneratne the rider from Badulla and Dilukshi Harindrika Sumanaweera from Ratnapura carried away the Lotus Challenge Cups at the Lotus Cyclocross National Mountain Biking Championships which concluded on Sunday. The event organised by National Mountain Biking Association and sponsored by Lotus tyres was held at the Tree of Life Hotel circuit which is also the pioneers of this version of cycling.

Nuwan Chinthaka who last year won the championship at Kandalama circuit did well here too. He got off to a flying start and took a firm lead. He kept on to his lead until the third lap but Sandasiri Dassanayake who also with lot of experience rode the 2-7 kilo metre course in style and control to reduce the gap. Nuwan had to use all his tactics at this stage to keep his rival at bay and win the Lotus Challenge Cup. Anil Ratnasiri was the second runner up in this event which was named as the Lotus open sports challenge event.

The women's open event too became an interesting one for large spectator gathering from all parts of Kandy area in addition to the visitors from Colombo.

Here it was a battle between two sisters from the cycling family of Ratnapura Sumanaweera's Dilukshi the elder of the two got the chequered flag and went ahead in the early part and she was chased by her own sister Ayesha until the end. This thrilled the sports fans thoroughly. Ayesha would have been a tired lass. She competing in the under-19 girls event earlier won the event comfortably. She could have been a threat to her sister if she had not participated in the earlier event. Seetha Kumari was placed third while stockily built Devika Marasinghe crossed the line as fourth competitor.

The event for Master over 45-years saw three former champion riders A.M. Sumanaweera, Anthony Symonds and Leslie Rupesinghe in battle. These veterans in cycling had lot of competition from riders of other areas. H.M. Abeyratne out peddled Sumanaweera, Symonds and Rupesinghe to take this title comfortably. Though they were placed behind Abeyratne they proved that even after passing the early fifties they are capable of riding along with riders of younger age. This event was keenly contested.

The other most attractive event was the Fun Riders race when few foreign competitors too were seen riding along with locals. Upul Silva Director/General Manager Lotus tyres who also was the man who came forward with a thumping amount of cash and trophies to make this event a success too was seem participating though not winning, completed the course within the first fifteen in a race where 37 competitors faced the chequered flag.

M.K.K. Ranjith Kumara grabbed the title in this race where Anura Bandara and B.M. Suranga Priyadharshana followed as first and second runners up.

Ayesha Madushani Sumanaweera competing in the Girls under-19 event was a clear winner from the commencement of the race. She faced stiff competition from last year's winner from Yahalatenne Nugawela Central's Hemamali Panthiyawatte. She was right behind the winner Ayesha but had to fall back when she had a nasty fall coming down wilderness where she suffered injuries in addition to problems to her machine.

She was sponsored by the host hotel Tree of Life. With all these mishaps she managed to secure the second place. She was followed by Ruwanthi Karunaratne the girl from Hillwood College Kandy.

It was another schoolboy from Nugawela Central Sujeewa Samantha Kumara who won the under-19 Boys open event pushing back Manoj Sumanaweera the fourth participant from cycling family of Sumanaweera's to second slot, while Dinesh Danushka was placed third.

The fourteen year old girl from Negombo Kushani Dalrene Fernando competing along with bigger girls of her age managed to get pass all of them to be the winner in the under-16 girls event. Kanchana Lakmali and Kumudu Talwatte were placed second and third.

Kumudu Talwatte from Girihagama Maha Vidyalaya was declared the Kandy district winner. Dharmaraja College schoolboy M.A.D.C. Dharmawardene was declared the Kandy District Boys under-16 winner. Earlier in the same event competing with all island race he was placed fourth where Suraj Sumeda Croos from Gampaha District won the event. Suresh Jayantha and K. Viraj Jeewantha were the first and second runners up.

The under-13 boys and girls event too were highly competed by almost over 70 competitors. Kingswoodian Kanishka Hiran Piyatissa went away with two victories - the open even and the Kandy district award.

Kushlani Karunaratne of Hillwood College Kandy also took the open and the Kandy District award for under-13 girls event.

The oldest competitor appeared for the fun riders event was the 67 year old M.A.M. Nazrulla while the youngest being a seven year old boy who competed in the under-13 event. Though he could not find a placing, completed the 2 kilometre course courageously.

The National Mountain Biking Association thanked the sponsor Lotus Tyres, Media sponsors Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd (Lake House) and the Tree of Life Hotel for the great assistance given to conduct the National Mountain Biking Championship on a grand scale.

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