The National Para Athletics Championships 2024 organized by the National Paralympic Committee concluded on the 12th of May with resounding success, showcasing the exceptional talents, and achievements of para-athletes across Sri Lanka.
The competition was held at the Diyagama Mahinda Rajapakse stadium on the 11th and 12th of May 2024. The event brought together close to 600 para-athletes representing clubs from all corners of the island.
Among the highlights of the event were the outstanding performances by the athletes who demonstrated unparalleled skill and determination, overcoming various challenges to achieve success on the grand stage of the championships.
In the category of Best Athlete (Junior) Women, Gamage Sadadinu Prethi Praba Abavikrama of Serd Sport Club shone brightly, securing two Gold Medals in Class 20. Similarly, W.D. Kavidu Dilshan Fernando of Heroes Sports Club and Viruja Senila Rathnawardana of Heroes Sports Club emerged as the Best Athletes (Junior) Men, both clinching two Gold Medals in their respective categories.
Nethmi Samadara Dissanayake of Isuru Sports Club was celebrated as the Best Athlete (Senior) Women, showcasing exceptional prowess in Class Autism with three Gold Medals. Meanwhile, W. Amila Prasan of Sri Lanka Light Infantry Sports Club dominated the Best Athlete (Senior) Men category, securing three Gold Medals in Class 44/62/64.
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The event also recognized the outstanding teamwork and spirit of competition, with Serric Sports Club and Heros Sports Club emerging as the Champions in the Junior (Women) and Junior (Men) categories respectively. Additionally, Wellassa Sports Club, and Rehab Lanka Sports Club were honored as the Champions and Runners up in the Senior (Women) category. Sri Lanka Light Infantry Sports Club and Vijayabahu Sports Club claimed the champions and runner-up titles in the Senior (Men) category.
The National Para Athletic Championships 2024 not only celebrated the achievements of para-athletes but also served as a platform to promote inclusivity, diversity, and the power of sports to unite communities. It was a testament to the unwavering spirit and resilience of para-athletes, inspiring generations to come.
Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider and prolific promoter of Sri Lankan sports was the proud sponsor of the NPC and has a long history of more than two decades with paralympic sports in Sri Lanka. The company first sponsored the Sri Lanka Paralympic contingent in the year 2000, followed by 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 & 2020 including sponsorship of the National Para Athletics Championship.
The partnership with NPC aligns with the company’s ongoing dedication to empowering individuals with disabilities through sponsorships such as this, as well as by advancing disability inclusion through assistive technology. Over the years, Dialog has made great strides in realising this vision with initiatives such as the launch of DeafTawk, an on-demand sign language interpretation service, the Ratmalana Audiology Centre, Jaffna Speech Centre and most recently, the revamp of dialog.lk to be more accessible to people with disabilities. Dialog Axiata PLC, in collaboration with MAS Holdings, recently launched the Dialog MAS Enabler Programme. This initiative is designed to support university students with disabilities by providing them with opportunities to gain valuable experience in corporate environments.
Dialog Axiata is also a dedicated sponsor of the National Cricket, Volleyball, and Esports teams and the primary sponsor of the Sri Lanka Golf Open. The Company promotes diversity, equity and inclusion through sponsorships in Netball Federation of Sri Lanka and National Paralympic Committee to enable athletes to participate in national and international tournaments. Further, in line with its commitment towards empowering the champions of tomorrow, the company continues to power the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, and School Rugby.
