Swimming star Heshan awarded 'Lion'

Leslie Fernando

The 15 year old Heshan Unamboowe who has performed remarkably well in swimming received the prestigious Lion Award at the Trinity College assembly held at the college hall in Kandy.

He is the youngest Sri Lanka overall swimming captain and a strong contender to get a berth for the Beijing Olympic Games in August.

A back stroke specialist Unamboowe started his swimming at the age of 8 years and has already established 68 records at School, national and international level. He has won National Age Group Swimming Championships and the Pentathlon Championship eight times in a row. It means he has become champion in the under -10 (twice), under-12 (twice), under-14 (twice), under-16 (twice) a creditable feat by the swimming sensation.

Heshan put up a remarkable performances in the year 2007 to be the best male swimmer of the country. He established national record in the All Island Schools Swimming Championships in the 200 metres individual medley and erased the national record held by Andrew Abeysinghe.

He also set up a new Sri Lanka record in the 50 m metres back stroke 28.17 secs. Heshan who won all five events at the nationals 50 m back stroke, 1500 m free style, 200 m individual medley, 100 m freestyle and 100 m breast stroke was selected as the best men's swimmer.

At the 2007 Sri Lanka Schools Swimming meet, Heshan who won all five events was selected the best boy's swimmer. He showed his class in the Short Course National Swimming Championships, Age Group Swimming Championships and Pentathlon Championships becoming champion in the under-16 age category.