Ambepitiya a top contender for Sportsman of the Year Award

Chris Dhambarage

Commonwealth Youth Games triple gold medallist Shehan Ambepitiya from Gateway College is one of the top contenders to bag the prestigious most outstanding sportsman of the year award at the 16th annual Milo Schools Colours Awards ceremony which will be held at the BMICH in Colombo today.

Promising sportsmen and sportswomen from over 155 schools will receive their awards at this ceremony which is jointly organized by the Sri Lanka Schools Sports Council, Ministry of Education and Nestle Lanka Limited.

Ambepitiya had a memorable outing in last years Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India where he won all three events with a record breaking performance. He took the men’s 100 metres and the 200 metres while setting two new meet records and also ran the final lap in the 100X4 metres relay with another record shattering performance.

Earlier Ambepitiya had the credit of finishing in the seventh place in the men’s 100 metres event while representing the country at the World Junior Games in Poland. In addition he clinched the silver medal in the men’s 100 metres event at the Asian Junior Athletic Championships worked off in Indonesia.

Ambepitiya has been a dominant figure in national level too where he has made a clean sweep in all major events worked off last year. He completed a fine double while winning the men’s 100 metres and the men’s 200 metres while setting up two new meet records at the all island National School Games.

Heshan Unamboowe

Also among the top contenders for the most outstanding sportsman of the year award is swimming sensation Heshan Bandara Unamboowe of Trinity College Kandy. He was able to make a huge impact at the World Short Course championships in Manchester, England where he established four national records.

The events that he set up national records were in the 50 metres back stroke, 100 metres back stroke, 50 metres free style and 100 metres free style. He won the bronze medal and set up a national record while representing the country at the third Asian Schools championships held in Malaysia last year.

In addition he established another national record and was placed fifth in the 50 metres back stroke event at the third Commonwealth Youth Games held in Pune, India last year.

Unamboowe had a splendid outing in last years National Sports Festival in Beliatta where he was named best sportsman and the champion swimmer from Central Province after having bagged five gold medals including a record in the 100 metres free style event.

Unamboowe was also named National Aquatic champion after having set up a new national record in the 100 metres free style event and followed up by setting up a new Sri Lanka record in the 50 metres back stroke event at the Pentathlon Championships.

Sachith Pathirana

Joining the list of contenders for the most outstanding sportsman of the year award is talented cricketer from Kandy Sachith Pathirana of Trinity College. The dynamic all rounder was easily Sri Lanka’s best player at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under 19 World Cup staged in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Pathirana was able to make his presence felt along with some of the big guns at this event where he was one of the strong contenders for the prestigious Player of the Series award. The schoolboy cricketer of the year 2008 captained the Kandy Youth Cricket Club under 23 side and also led the Kandy District under 19 team in the Inter District cricket tournament.

Sukitha Wickremanayake

Talented table tennis player Sukitha Wickremanayake of Dharmaraja College Kandy is also among the top contenders for the most outstanding sportsman of the year award following a successful season last year.

Wickremanayake’s best effort came at the South Asian junior championships where he played a major role while helping the boys Under 18 team to clinch the silver medal in Karachi, Pakistan.

He also had the distinction of representing the country at the World team championships in China, Asian junior championships in Singapore, Indian junior open and ITTF junior circuit in Pune, India and at the International Youth open and ITTF junior circuit in China.

Buddhika Walgampola

Buddhika Prabath Walgampola from Royal College is another promising table tennis player who is among the list for the most outstanding sportsman of the year award.

He won a silver medal at the South Asian championships in India and Pakistan and another silver medal in the men’s doubles event at the South Asian tournament in Pakistan.

Walgampola was a member of the Sri Lanka table tennis team that participated in the 3rd Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India. In national level he was the champion at the 62nd National championships, Under 21 champion at the Chrys Gunaratne tournament and A division champion in the Milady tournament.

Mineka Karunaratne

In the category for the most outstanding sportswoman of the year award, talented swimmer Mineka Karunaratne from Asian International School is the hot favourite following a tremendous season at home and abroad.

Karunaratne is the current record holder in the 50 metres and 100 metres breast stroke events and is also the fastest swimmer in the South Asian region in these two events.

In fact her personal best times recorded in the 50 metres and 100 metres breast stroke events are faster than the current South Asian Games records.

Miniruwani Samarakoon

Miniruwani Samarakoon of Gateway College Kandy is another promising swimmer vying for top honours and for the most outstanding sportswoman of the year award.

She had the distinction of captaining the Sri Lanka women’s team at the Asian Schools championships in which she secured the seventh place in the 100 metres and 200 metres butterfly events.

Samarakoon’s other significant achievement was that she became the only female swimmer to represent the country at the World championships where she established a new short course national record.

At national level she became the best female swimmer for the second successive year and was able win eight gold medals and one silver medal while setting up one national long course record and one national short course record.

In another sensational performance she was able to set up four new records and went on to win six gold medals at the National Age Group championships.

She also captained the women’s team at the Asian Schools swimming championships in July last year where she was placed seventh in the 100 metres and 200 metres butterfly stroke events. In the National Sports Festival held in Beliatta in July last year she made a clean sweep while winning the 50 metres butterfly stroke, 100 metres butterfly stroke and the 200 metres Individual Medley.

Ishara Madurangi

Ishara Madurangi from Sri Devananda College Ambalangoda is a promising table tennis player who is among the contenders for the coveted most outstanding sportswoman of the year award.

She represented Sri Lanka at the World championships in China and captained the team at the South Asian junior schools tournament in Pakistan where she was able to win two silver medals and one bronze medal.

Ishara Madurangi emerged as the best women’s table tennis player at the 34th National Sports Festival and was the champion in the 62nd National championships.

She was selected as the most outstanding women’s player at the Chrys Gunaratne tournament where she won the under 18, under 21, girls open and the girls doubles titles.

Tarindra Weerakoon

Tarindra Weerakoon from Maliyadeva BMV Kurunegala is also another promising table tennis player who is among the contenders for the most outstanding sportswomen of the year award.

In the international scene she represented the country at the Olympic Youth Camp in China and also at the South Asian tournament in Pakistan where she was able to win two silver medals and one bronze medal. She also won a silver medal in the women’s open event at the Maldives National championships.

Shanika Sandeepani

The line up for the most outstanding sportswoman of the year award is completed with the inclusion of Shanika Sandeepani from Devi Balika MV Colombo.

The most significant fact is that she has excellent in both weightlifting and athletics.

In weightlifting she emerged as the Sri Lanka junior national champion last year and was placed first in the under 17, under 69 category event while establishing a new junior national record.

In athletics she was placed third in the girls shot putt event while competing at last years junior national championships and was placed first in the women’s national meet in the same event.