The 32nd Sri Lanka National Rowing Championships concluded successfully this evening at the Diyawanna Rowing Centre. Ladies’ College took the Under 18 and Over 18 Women’s category championship while Royal College and Ananda College won Men’s Over 18 and Under 18 championships respectively. In the Women’s Open category Sri Lanka Army was awarded the championship while Men’s Open category championship was taken home by Sri Lanka Navy.
The third day of the 32nd Sri Lanka National Rowing Championships got underway today at the Diyawanna Rowing Centre as the rowers took to the 2000 meter course for the final events of the regatta. The day was an action-packed one as the oarsmen and oarswomen battled hard to make it over the finish line before their opponents.
In the Over 18 category Men’s Sculls Hashen Hettigoda from Royal College won the gold medal with a timing of 7 minutes and 25 seconds. He was back again in action taking the Royal College crew over the line in first place in the men’s open double sculls alongside Gavik Kuruppu. Finishing second was R.T.S Karunarathne and U.U.R Udawaththe of Sri Lanka Army.
The last race and the highlight of the evening was the Men’s Open Coxless Fours which was master-stroked by the Sri Lanka Navy clocking a timing of 6 minutes and 28 seconds. Navy dominated the Men’s Coxless Pairs as well, by beating the Army and the Sri Lanka Air Force.
In the Under 18 category, the superiority of Suhith Alexender (AC) was left unmatched as he won the men’s single sculls, while Amithab Piyadasa of Gateway College took over wining the silver from the favourite Dharaka Peiris of S. Thomas’ Mount Lavinia. Lasindu was involved with Charin in winning the Under 18 pairs for Royal College and Ananda College won a tough challenge put up by Thomians to win silver. Mario Fredricks along with Gavishka Athanayake took home the Under 18 Double Sculls event. Ananda recorded their set of gold medals through the Under 18 Men’s Coxed Fours beating Royal and St. Joseph’s College fours with a timing of 7.09.
In the Women’s events, the Sri Lanka Army won the overall Women’s Open category, wining the Open Double Sculls. Ishara Abbey of Ladies’ College recorded a comfortable 11-second win over Samaakhya Gajanayake who represented Colombo Rowing Club in the Open Single Sculls event. However, M.S. De Alwis and S.U. De Silva of Musaeus College won the under 18 Double Sculls event with a timing of 8.03.
Ladies College again won gold medals through Anelka Karunarathne in the Women’s Under 18 sculls. Ashvini Subasinghe and Nihara Waravita won gold again for Ladies’ College in the Under 18 Pairs event. In the Women’s Open Double Sculls event Sri Lanka Army recorded an easy win with a timing of 8 minutes.
The School Boys’ Sculler of the event was Hashen Hettigoda of Royal College and the Girls’ Sculler was S.U. De Silva for Musaeus College.
The Sri Lanka Army, Ananda College, Royal College, Ladies College and Sri Lanka Navy maintained their winning streak, bagging the overall trophies in the open, over 18 and under 18 categories.
