Ratnayake Central Walala bags six championships at Schools Relay Carnival
A. Ratnayake Central College, Walala gained the highest number of points in Girl’s and Boy’s Overall Championship at the Sri Lanka Schools Relay Carnival held at the Bogambara Ground, Kandy.
The Sri Lanka Schools Athletic Association and the Ministry of Education combined to conduct the meet.
The competition was conducted under four age groups – Under 15. Under 17, Under 19 and Under 21 – Boys and Girls.
From 356 schools over 3,500 athletes took part in the event which was conducted for the Ritzbury Trophy.
A. Ratnayake Central College Wallala is a leading school in the Central Province which has been making a name for sports. It is also considered as a sports school in the Central Province.
From the year 2000 the school has won over 30 All Island meets, especially athletics.
The school has also produced over 20 athletes to the national level.
This time at the Relay Carnival they won six championships. They are: Highest Points Overall Championship (Boys and Girls), the Overall Girls Championship, the under 17 girls Championship and the under 21 girls’ championship.
Other than that they were also placed runners-up in the Under 21 Boys’ and the Under 17 Boys’ events.
The A. Ratnayake Central Province athletic teams are coached by Head Coach Susantha Fernando.
It should be noted that St. Benedict’s College Kotahena won the Boys’ Overall Championship for the first time in the school’s 150 year old history.
St. Benedict’s also won two Age Group Championships – Under 15 and Under 17 Boys Relay events.
The coach of St. Benedict’s athletic team is I.D. Premasir. Under his coaching several Benedictines had fared well at school level meets.