All Island School Games end on a grand note

Yasaratne Gamage and Priyan de Silva Matara sports corr

The Athletic Championships of the 2012 All Island Schools Games concluded on a grand note with 13 new meet records established by athletes under 15, 17, 19 and 21 age categories at D A Rajapakse Stadium in Beliatta on Saturday.

The five day event saw a bunch upcoming athletes from the city and outstations proving their talents of a promising future of athletics both in track and field events where they competed in 124 events.

The meet started on October 9 where no records were tumbled but a lot of schools athletes, specially under 19 girls achieving Schools Games Colours Standards.

Then from the second day onwards they started to reach colours standards and to shatter records despite all the sweat under the hot sun at Beliatta. Two athletes form Arunodaya Vidyalaya, Jaffna went on to set up two new meet records which can be seen as one of the highlights of the event.

In the under 19 girls pole vault , Arindrawan Pavithra rose up to 3.01 metres to erase her own record which she registered last year at Diyagama while her schoolmate Shanmugaraja Thanuja did the same in under 21 category with a height of 3.11 metres to shatter her own record of 3.10 metres.

Walala A Ratnayake M V also dominated under 17 girls pole vault, 400 metres girls’ hurdles and pole vault under 19 boys’ with three new meet records being shattered by them.

S R J P Senanayake of St Joseph’s Convent, Kegalle also entered the meet record book when she finished the 100 metres in girls’ under 21 category in 12.30 seconds. Their under 15, 4X400 relay team also entered the record book when they clocked 4.12:1 .

In terms of championships, Maristella College Negambo grabbed the boys’ under 15 and 17 trophies while Joseph Vaz , Negambo won under 21 and relay championships. A Ratnayake Vidyalaya, Walala won the under 19 championship.

In the girls’ category Sumana Balika Vidyalaya , Ratnapura secured under 19 and 21 girls championships. A Rathnayake Vidyalaya Walala went away with under 17 champions trophy. St Joseph’s College, Kegalle won the under 15 champions trophy and the relay as well.