St. Joseph’s Colombo prove that they are the top of boys’ school swimming

St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, 15-time schools swimming champions proved that they are at the top of boys’ schools swimming when they emerged Overall Boys’ Team Championship at the 44th National Age Group Swimming Championship at the Sugathadasa Swimming Complex last weekend.

Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo, another powerhouse in schools swimming clinched the Girls’ Overall Team Championship.

Josephians, with a whopping 502.5 points, led the boys’ category while Ananda College, Colombo were far behind with 271 points occupied the second spot. Visahka Vidyalaya with 333 points carried away the Girls’ Team Championship were closely fol- lowed by Lyceum International School with 307 points.

Nabashi Perera of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Balika with three second place finishes in 50m, 100m and 200m Butterfly and one third place finish in the 50m Freestyle performed best in the Under-15 Girls’ category. Chris Pavithra stole the limelight in the Under-15 Boys’ category claiming five championships with two gold medals in the 100m and 200m Breaststroke and with second places in the 50m Brest, 100m and 50m Freestyle events.

Visahkians Ramudi Samarakoon and Ganga Seneviratne were outstanding in the Girls’ Under-17 age group winning three and two gold medals respectively. Samarakoon bagged gold medals in the 50m and 100m and 100m Breast and in the 100m Freestyle events. She also won a silver in the Individual Medley and 400m Freestyle.

Seneviratne grabbed two golds in the 100m and 200m Backstroke and occupied the second spot in the 100m and 200m Freestyle and 50m Backstroke.

Nalandian Amodya Dulshan was the highest Gold medal winner with five in the 50m and 100m Back, 100m and 200m Butterfly and in 200m Individual Medley of the Under- 15 Boys’ events.

Sandeev Senarathne of Ananda College with four first place wins in the 100m Butterfly, 100m Free, 50m Butterfly and 50m Freestyle and won a silver in the 200m Butterfly events in the Under- 17 Boys’ Under- 17 swim races.

In the Boys’ Under- 20 age group Gavin Karunanayake of British International School enjoying a good meet by claiming Gold in the 200m Butterfly, Silver in the 200m IM and 400m IM and a Bronze in the 100m Butterfly.

In the Girls’ Under- 20 group Commonwealth record breaker Dilrukshi Perera of Hillwood College, Kandy claimed two gold medals in the 50m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly and won a Silver in the 50m Freestyle event.

Sandu Savidi of champion Visakha Vidyalaya too exhibited her skills claiming two first places ( 50m Freestyle and 100m Butterfly) events.

– Lakshman Ranasinghe