Shehan, Miniruwani top performers

Ranjan ANANDAPPA

Twenty year old Shehan Ambeypitiya of Gateway College, Rajagiriya and Miniruwani Samarakoon from Girls High School, Kandy were adjudged as the Most Outstanding Sportsman and Sports Woman at the annual all Island inter-school Milo Colours Night held at the BMICH on Wednesday.

Tharinda Dharshini Weerakoon (Table Tennis) of Maliyadeva BV, Kurunegala and Charith Kapukotuwa (Athletics) of Royal, Colombo was adjudged as the Up and Coming Sportsman and Woman respectively.

Ambeypitiya won the title for the third year in succession (2007, 2008 and 2009) for his outstanding contribution to athletics while Miniruwani was adjudged for her top performances in swimming.

The event was organised for the seventeenth year by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Schools Sports Council and sponsored by Nestle Lanka Ltd to recognise the top performers (boys and girls) for the year 2009.

The Managing Director of Nestle Lanka PLC David Saudan said that he was very proud and grateful for the opportunity to be the sponsors and to be associated with school sports in Sri Lanka for the past 17 years.

“We are very close to sports, and believe that sports could put very good values into the hearts and minds of the children wherever we operate in the world.

Sports is linked to team work, resilience, leadership and inculcates the spirit of winning which is very important not only in the playing field but also in everyday life, whether you do business or studies. Whatever we do we want to do well and want to come up as winners,” said David Saudan.

About 532 outstanding sportsmen and sportswomen from 250 schools were selected for their impressive performances in 26 disciplines which comes under the purview of the Sri Lanka Schools Sports Council.

The short listed recipients: (Most outstanding sportsman) Shehan Ambeypitiya, Gateway International School, Rajagiriya, (athletics), Heshan Unamboowa, Trinity (swimming), Chatura Siriwardena, Sri Devananda, Ambalangoda (Table Tennis) and Nuwan Hettiarachchi, Ananda College, Colombo (Badminton).

Most Outstanding performers: Girls - Miniruwani Samarakoon, Girls High School, Kandy (swimming), Mansala Ranawana, Musaeus (Badminton), Ishara Miyurangi, Sri Devananda, Ambalangoda (Table Tennis), Solangi Christine Gunavijaya, St. Joseph’s BV, Nugegoda (Netball).

The short listed names for the up and coming sportsmen were: Samitha Abeyratne, Royal College (Table Tennis), Lakshitha Chaturanga, Dharmasoka and Charith Kapukotuwa, Royal (Table Tennis).

The five girls for the Up and Coming Sportswomen award were: Achini Nimeshika Ratnasiri, Visakha (Badminton), Tharindra Weerakoon, Maliyadeva (Table Tennis), Hansi Yasoda Bandara, Kalutara BV, (Netball), Tharini Shariya Fernando, HFC, Kurunegala (Netball).

The Western Province had the highest number of recipients (234), Central Province (127), Southern Province (50), NCP (49), Sabaragamuwa (45), North East (19), Uva (7), Kantalai (1).

The Minister of Sports C.B. Ratnayake was the chief guest and gave away the main awards.