Huge participation expected at Central Province Swimming C'ships

Kandy Sports Correspondent

Over 600 swimmers from various part of Central Province are expected to take the plunge when the 7th Annual Central Province Swimming Championship for boys and girls organized by the Central Province Aquatic Sports Association (CEPASA) and sponsored by Nutella Hazelnut Spread from Italy gets underway at the Peradeniya University swimming pool on Saturday, January 28, commencing at 8 am.

Gracing the occasion as the special guest will be Justice Ahamed Muthasin - Justice of Supreme Court of the Republic of the Maldives who has been of tremendous assistance in conducting this meet every year.

This is the biggest swimming championship which is being held in the Central Province in a swimming pool meeting to international standards.

The format of the championship will be Age group and for Novices. The overall championship will be decided on these two categories with separate champions for boys and girls on the points aggregated by the schools.

In the past Trinity College (boys) and Mahamaya Girls College (girls) have been undisputed Schools Age Group champions. But the girls Novices Championship have been won by Mahamaya Girls College and also by Hillwood Girls College in the past. Likewise the boys Novices championship too had been won by Trinity College and Kingswood College.

The Vice President and livewire of CEPASA Janaka de Silva said that over the years this meet has grown in stature with the committee doing an excellent job.

He said that a total of 36 events in the Age Group and 20 in the Novices championship will be worked for girls and a similar number of events will be worked off too in the championship for boys thus making the total number of events to 112.

Some of the events which will be worked off are 200 metres Individual Medley (5 events).

Butterfly stroke 50 metres (5 events), Back stroke 50 metres (5 events), Breast stroke 50 metres (5 events), Free style 50 metres (5 events), Free style 200 metres (5 events), Free style 50 metres (5 events) in the age groups of under 10, under 12, under 14, under 16 and over 16 for boys and girls. There will be also 100 metres Butterfly stroke, 100 metres Back stroke, 100 metres Breast stroke and 200 metres Free style in the Age Groups of under 16, over 16 and under 14 for boys and girls.

The championship for Boys and Girls Novices will be 200 metres Individual Medley, 50 metres Butterfly, 50 metres Back stroke, 50 metres Back stroke and 50 metres Free style in the Age Groups of under 10, under 12, under 14 and over 14.

Swimmers from Kandy, Matale, Dambulla, Gampola, Nuwara Eliya, Peradeniya are expected to take part.

Entries are now open and entry farms could be collected from CEPASA office at C/o DJD Promotions at 18 1/1 Hill Street, Kandy. Phone 072-2264295.