Shehan gifted with lucrative sponsorship

Chris DHAMBARAGE

Sri Lanka’s new sprint sensation Shehan Ambepitiya received a tremendous boost with a lucrative sponsorship deal from Ceylon Biscuits Limited through their brand Munchee, which is aimed at helping him to win a medal at the next Olympic Games in London.

The eighteen year old schoolboy from Gateway College turned a new leaf in the history of athletics in this country by snatching three gold medals at the Third Commonwealth Youth Games concluded in Pune, India last week.

Ambepitiya completed a grand sprint double by winning the boys 100 metres and the 200 metres with a record breaking performance and followed up by running the anchor lap in the boys 4 X 100 metres relay event.

His efforts in this meet also helped Sri Lanka finish among the top ten out of a total of 71 nations in the final medals standings. Ambepitiya who had earlier finished seventh in the boys 100 metres event at the World Youth Championships in Poland will receive a sponsorship package of Rs. One Million annually to further improve on his talent and potential.

The official presentation took place during a ceremony held at the Gateway College yesterday. The partnership between Shehan Ambepitiya and Ceylon Biscuits Limited of course started two years ago when he was a budding but not a popular athlete after having shifted to Gateway College from his previous school President’s College Rajagiriya.

The Group Director and the Head of Marketing and Sales of Ceylon Biscuits Limited Nandana Wickremage said that they believed Ambepitiya had the potential and the capability of rising to the top and decided to sponsor him following a request made by R.I.T. Alles who is the Chairman and founder of the Gateway College.

Wickremage noted that Ambepitiya has reached new heights in the local track and field scene in a short period of time and he has lived upto expectations by emerging as the fastest man at the Commonwealth Youth Games in India. He also pledged to support Ambepitiya in all his future endeavour including overseas training and the participation in some of the major international meets here and abroad.

Wickremage noted that as a pure local company they are pleased to help a talented Sri Lankan sportsman who is striving to become the third athlete to win a medal at the Olympic Games after Duncan White and Susanthika Jayasinghe.

Meanwhile the Director Sports of Gateway College Sunil Jayaweera stressed the importance of maintaining consistency and further uplifting his standard in both local and international track and field scene for the next four to five years.

He also said that Gateway College in collaboration with Ceylon Biscuits Limited and with the expertise of dynamic coach Sunil Gunawardena have already launched a long term plan that would put Shehan Ambepitiya on the correct track in search of more glory for his motherland.

The Chairman and the founder of Gateway College R.I.T. Alles said that this is a fantastic effort from an extremely humble athlete who should be guided and protected in the correct way towards a bright future.

He also said that Shehan was a very affectionate and loving child when he first joined Gateway College and hoped that he would remain the same while representing the country during the upcoming international events.

Alles further noted that Ambepitiya who is a pre scholar at Gateway College will be provided with all facilities for the sake of the country because Sri Lanka badly needs sportsmen of this nature to build their image in the international scene.