Optimistic 10-Member School Team to represent Sri Lanka
A team of 10 young Sri Lankan sailors left this weekend to Mussanah, Oman for the International Optimist Dinghy Association ( IODA) Asia and Oceania Championship, to be held from September 30 to October 7.
The team comprises seven boys- four from S. Thomas’s College ( STC), Mt. Lavinia, and three from Royal College ( RC), Colombo 7, and three girls from Ladies’ College (LC), Colombo 7.
"This is a top- ranked event on the Sailing calendar for our junior Sailors, and we are delighted to field a full team this year. Our aim is to see the Lankans finish among the Top 10, while gaining the much needed exposure for next year's instalment of this competition, which Sri Lanka will be hosting," stated Asanka Goonawardene, Convener for Yachting Association of Sri Lanka (YASL).
The team was selected after a series of trials conducted in June by YASL, and approved by both, the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Education. Since then, the team has been training hard under experienced National Coach Krishan Janaka, with the support of Sri Lanka’s Olympic Sailor Lalin Jirasinghe and the assistance of YASL and the Sri Lanka Navy. The Manager will be Jayantha Gunasekara, who is also the Teacher-in-Charge of Sailing at RC.
The 10- member Sri Lanka team is Shashenka Fernando, Enalka de Silva, and brothers Dhanika, Nikhil and Tharen Nanayakkara (STC), Tarini de Silva, Lara Gunawardana and Taalya Tranchell ( LC) and Udan Marapperuma and Manthisa Gunasekara (RC).
"Since the final selection was made, the team has been training regularly. The team includes 2 experienced sailors, a girl and a boy, who have represented Sri Lanka at 4 and 3 international events, respectively. Though we expect them to reach the Top 10, we are confident they can achieve better. I'm sure they will make Sri Lanka proud," Goonewardene said.
The young Sri Lankans will be in action from October 1, where they will be involved in a series of 12 races, until the final day, when the final standings will be determined, based on the tabulated points gained throughout the series. The best a Sri Lankan Sailor ever achieved, according to Goonewardene, was the 8th position from 100 boats.
Through the course of preparation, the Ceylon Motor Yacht Club ( CMYC) has been magnanimous in its support and encouragement, providing its premises and facilities on the Bolgoda Lake for training, which the Sri Lankan team has benefited greatly.
In addition, this year, the team has also been extremely fortunate to garner the support of TASS, a physical training institution of Sports Scientist Thanura Abeywardena and his team, who provide physical training for the team as a sponsorship package.
"Sailing is a complex and exceptionally challenging sport that requires not only technical skill, strength, agility and endurance, but also the ability to read the wind, tides and currents and use these forces to the competitor’s best advantage, constantly evaluating the options and changing course to get around the course in the quickest possible time. For young sailors participating in offshore racing, it also takes the courage to be able to take on and harness the elements on the open sea. Participating in this event is a great opportunity for our youngsters, to compete alongside the best in the world, and the experience they gain and bring back with them is invaluable for the development of the sport at the school and national level," explained Head Coach Krishan Janaka.
IODA holds world championships as well as regional championships each year and this year's Asian and Oceania Championships has attracted the national teams of 22 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, China, India and Malaysia, from North and South America, Europe and Africa, bringing the total number of competitors to 148.
The young sailors will compete in the Optimist Class, which is a single-handed sailing dinghy developed for children up to 15 years. Worldwide, it is an enormously popular class of boat in which children learn to sail, develop boat handling competency and hone their racing skills.
"The YASL is delighted to have won its bid to host the premier event in 2020, in Trincomalee, from June 6- 13, and with the good results from Oman, I'm sure the Sri Lankan Sailors would be able to rule the local sea at the highest l eve l , " an optimistic Goonewardene stated.