Royal and Musaeus top the list at U-20 Rowing
Royal College and Musaeus College won the Under-20 titles at the Sri Lanka Schools’ Rowing Championship held at the Colombo Rowing Club premises in Colombo recently.
Royal also claimed the overall win of the Under-18 age category while Ananda College won the Under-18 age group. St. Joseph’s College won the Under-14 overall championship. In the Girls’ segment Ladies’ College claimed a double overall, winning the Under-18 and Under-16 titles as Visakha Vidyalaya and Defence Services School shared the Under-14 overall championship.
In the Under-20s Royal’s Hashen Weerakkody won the Boy’s Single Sculls event ahead of Nadun Hettiarachchi of Asian International School and Himendra Rodrigo of St. Joseph’s College while Musaeus’ Isuri Kumarasinghe claimed the win of the Girls’ Single Sculls race.
Royal yet again went on to win the Boy’s Double Sculls when Hashen Hettigoda and Lasaru Kudaligama claimed the win against S. Thomas’ College duo Kemil Peter and Deshitha Hennayake. The Royal twins -- Hashen and Praveen Weerakkody was placed third.
Bishops’ College pair, Naveksha Gunasekara and Thavisha Attanayake had the honour of beating the Musaeus duo Niseni Hewamallika and Ashvini Jayathilake to win the Girls’ Double Sculls race.
Ananda College won the Boy’s Coxless Pairs when Thineth Jayasuriya and Thisala Naveendya pipped out Royal’s Praveen Hapugalle and Thimesha Amarasena to emerge victorious. The Girls’ Coxless Pairs race was won by Bishops’ College pair Naveksha Gunasekara and Thavisha Attanayake.
The Boy’s Coxed Fours, Royal emerged winners with a strong crew which included experienced oarsmen Praveen Hapugalle, Kaveen Rajapakse, Hashen Hettigoda, Prathap Perera and Avishka Jayaweera as Cox to beat Ananda.
The Girls’ Coxed Fours was won by Musaeus College, who beat Bishops in the main race. The Musaeus crew included Niseni Hewamallika, Lishadi Mayadunne, Isuri Kumarasinghe, Ashvini Jayathilake and Mayanthi Weerakoon as Cox.
In the Under-18 age category Ananda’s Suhith Alexander overcame Arjun Wikramanayake of S. Thomas’ and Reyon Galappaththi of St. Joseph’s to win the Boy’s Single Sculls event. Ladies’ College oarswoman Ishara Abbey beat school mate Davina Koch to win the Girls’ Single Sculls event while Visakha Vidyalaya’s Umanda Tennekoon came in at third.
Ananda won the Boy’s Double Sculls when Suhith Alexander and Janith Welaratne raced to beat Royal pair Waruna Hewamanne and Jatukarana Rockwood. Ladies’ pair Ishara Abbey and Nihara Warawita had a steady race to overcome traditional rivals Musaeus, pushing Maedhini de Alwis and Senuri de Silva to second place.
S. Thomas’ duo Shailindra Jayasekara and Lakshan Sri Pragash took their team to the victory post in the Coxless Pairs event as they beat Asian International School pair Kiaan Ahamed and Champaka Edirimanne and Royal duo Lasindu Gamage and Charin Wijethilake to second and third positions respectively. In the Girls’ event Musaeus emerged victorious when Ranuli Wickramasekara and Binali de Alwis defeated Ladies’ College pair Chanika Gunathilake and Shannon Perera. Umanda Tennekoon and Suhara Malwattage of Visakha Vidyalaya took the third place.
In the Boy’s Coxed Fours event, Royal took the first position as well as the third. The winning Royal crew included Pasindu Alwis, Lasindu Gamage, Sajaad Ajmal, Ishira Rambukwella and Revata Karunasundara as Cox. Asian International School was placed second. Musaeus won the Girls’ event with an experienced crew in Binali de Alwis, Maedhini de Alwis, Ranuli Wickramasekara, Senuri de Silva and Mayanthi Weerakoon as Cox.
The event took place during three days during the final week of October with crews from Royal College, S. Thomas’ College, Ananda College, Asian International School, St. Joseph’s College, Gateway International School, Nalanda College and St. Peter’s College under Boy’s category and Musaeus College, Ladies’ College, Bishop’s College, Visakha Vidalaya and the Defence Services School under Girls’ category battling out. The event was organised and conducted for the fourth occasion by the Sri Lanka Schools’ Rowing Association.