Dilrukshi - a promising swimmer

S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN Kandy Sports correspondent

A little girl just eight years old swam at the Central Province Swimming Championship organised by the Central Province Aquatic Sports Association a few months back and did not fare too well but was determined to reach the top one day.

That is the story of Dilrukshi Perera of Hillwood College, Kandy, who won three gold medals, winning comfortably all three events under 9 age group in which she participated at the Annual Swimming and Divising Championships organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Swimming Association and held at the Sugathadasa Stadium swimming pool a couple of weeks ago.

Little Dilrukshi Perera was in such a cracking form that she won both the 100 metres and 50 metres Free Style and also the 50 metres back stroke to walk away with three gold medals at the 36th version of this Schools championship. Her top class performance made her school proud.

Little Dilrukshi Perera, daughter of the famous ruggerite from Trinity College Devapriya Perera started swimming when she was just six years old.

At the 5th Annual All Island Swimming Championship organised by Sea Eagles Sports Club, Ambalangoda in 2007 in the under 9 age category she won the 25 metre free style and 25 metre back stroke and was placed second in the 100 metre Individual Medley and 25 metre Dolphin stroke.

Her next meet was at Peradeniya organised by the CEPASA recently and swimming in the under 9 age group, she won 50 metre free style and was placed second in the 50 metre back stroke and third in the 50 metre Dolphin Stroke.

It was at the above meet she resolved herself that she must beat the girls who had beaten her from the other schools in the Central Province. She just did that with sheer guts and determination. This little girl holds a lot of promise as a swimmer in the future.