One of the premier athletics events of the island, the 93rd Sir John Tarbat Athletics Championship 2025, unfolded at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Diyagama, recently. By representing each part of Sri Lanka, over 30,000 participants from nearly 1,300 schools were featured in this oldest athletic meet of the country.
Day 1 – The 5000m races were the first final event of the meet, and Dulanjana Pradeepani of Laceum College, Wattala, and H. Abhinesh of Rajawella Hindu College stamped their class to clinch under 20 gold medals. In the 3000m finals, N. Niduki Prarthana of Baranankattuwa K.V. Mundalama secured the gold medal, while G. D. L. Achintha of Laceum College, Rathnapura, clinched the boys under 18 gold with a new meet record through an 8:44.18-minute run.
Young talent Deesara Herath of Maris Stella College – Thimbirigaskatuwa clinched the U18 long jump gold with another meet record leap of 7.7 metres. W. G. S. Ranaweera of St Joseph’s Balika Vidyalaya, Kegalle, won the same honours in the girl’s event. Further, the Royalist, T. Widanagamachchi, claimed the gold in the under-16 high jump event, while the power-hitting cricketer from Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala, Vinuka Galappaththi, clinched the gold medal in the under-20 discus throw event.
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Further, the gold medal for under 18 discus throw went to S.G.L.B.B. Gunasekara of Rahula College, Matara, after setting a new meet record with a throw of 53.35 metres. Another new meet record was established with a 1.70-metre jump by the D.K.M.D. Abeyrathne of Presidents College, Ambilipitiya (U18 High Jump event).
Day 2 – In the women’s under-16 200-metre event, N.R. Ekanayake of Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya, managed to set a new meet record with a finishing time of 25.31 seconds. Meanwhile, the rising sprinter from Wattala Lyceum College, D. Fernando, managed to set a new meet record in the women’s under-18 200-metre event by recording a time of 24.40 seconds. There was another shattered record in the 200-metre event (U20) as K.K. Indupa Silva of Ananda Shasthralaya, Kotte, clinched the victory with a timing of 21.30.
The new meet records were raining at the 800-metre event, and in the under-16 race, H. Yasiru Udara of President College – Ambagasdowa displayed his grit to set a new meet record with a timing of 1:57.28 minutes. Meanwhile, R. Perera of Lyceum College, Wattala, managed to set a new meet record with a finishing time of 1:52.50 minutes at the Under-18 boy’s 800m finals. Another future prospect from Central College, Matara, K. T. Nuhansa shattered the previous record in the women’s 800-metre event (U18) with a finishing time of 2:09:01 minutes. The final record of the “800m new meet records fest” came from G.L.N. Dineth Liyanage of Weera Keppetipola College, Akurambada. He clinched the under-20 800-metre gold, with a finishing time of 1:52.42 minutes.
Meanwhile, the ace jumper of St Benedict’s College, Kotahena, I.D.S.H. Jayasinghe, managed to set the final new meet record of the day by covering a distance of 15.41 metres (U18 boys’ triple jump event). Meanwhile, another bright junior athlete, Ayomal Akalanka of Ambagamuwa Central College, managed to set a new meet record in the Under-20 Men’s 400m hurdles event with a finishing time of 50.51 seconds.
Day 3 – The talented jumping athlete from St Lawrence’s Convent, Colombo 06, K.A.D. Sanuli Methlini Perera, displayed her grit and managed to set a new meet record with a performance of 12.02 metres at the U16 girl’s triple jump event. Meanwhile, Dinuka Thinesh of Maristella College, Thimbirigaskatuwa, who represented the Under-16 boys’ 400-metre event, managed to set another new meet record with a finishing time of 49.67 seconds.
The unbelievable and unmatched talent, Ayomal Akalanka, who shattered the 400m hurdles record a day ago, stormed to another gold with another new meet record at the much-awaited 400-metre event.
Another interesting sprinting event took place in the day as 100m relays came alive with some superb performance. In the under-16 girls’ event, the Darmapala College Pannipitiya team set a new meet record with a timing of 49.91 seconds, though they were closely followed by Lyceum International School, Wattala. But the older Lyceum girls never missed the opportunity, as they managed to shatter the meet record at the under-18 girls’ event with a timing of 48.19 seconds by keeping a handsome lead away from the others.
Day 4 – T Mendis of Lyceum International School, Wattala, shattered the first meet record of the day with a leap of 2.15 metres at the U18 high jump event. Then, M. Sanuga Silva of Loyola College, Bopitiya, set a new meet record at the U16 Boys’ Pole Vault event, with a height of 3.61 metres. Further, H.A.L. Sandali of Royal International College, Kurunegala, and W.D.N.D. Fernando of St. Maries College, Chilaw, also shattered the competition records in the U16 100m hurdles events.
Meanwhile, G.D.L. Achintha of Aloysius College, Ratnapura, managed to set a new competition record at the U18 1500m event with a time of 3:53.05 minutes. The masculine athlete M. Rajasinghe of St Joseph’s College, Colombo, went for a new meet record at the U16 shot put event.
Further three 100 m new meet records were set by D Fernando (U18 – 11.88 sec), C Imesh (U18 – 10.68 sec) and S Faleel (U20 – 10.57 sec), respectively. Another three 400mx4 event records were shattered in the events of the U16 boy’s, U18 girl’s and U20 boy’s races.
New Meet Records
Under 16 boy’s
4x400m 3:16.96 Min Rahula College – Matara
400m 49.67 secs Dinuka Thinesh Maris Stella College – Thimbirigaskatuwa
800m 1:57.28 Min H Yasiru Udara President College – Ambagasdowa
100m Hurdles 13.13 secs W.D.N.D Fernando St Mary College -Chilaw
Pole Vault 3.61 M M.S.M Silva Loyola College – Bopitiya
Shot Putt 16.73 M M Raajasinghe St Joseph’s College – Colombo 10
4x100m 43.82 secs Maris Stella College – Thimbirigaskatuwa
4x400m 3:23.67 Min St Joseph Vaz College-Wennappuwa
Under 18 boy’s
100m 10.68 secs C Imesh St Joseph’s College-Colombo 10
800m 1:52.50 Min R Perera Lyceum International School-Wattala
1500m 3:53.05 Min G.D.L Achintha Aloysius College-Ratnapura
3000m 8:44.18 Min G.D.L Achintha Aloysius College-Ratnapura
High Jump 2.15 M T Mendis Lyceum International School-Wattala
Long Jump 7.27 M Deesara Herath Maris Stella College – Thimbirigaskatuwa
Triple Jump 15.41 M I.D.S.H. Jayasinghe St. Benedict’s College – Colombo 13
Discus Throw 51.35 M S.G.L.B. Gunasekara Rahula College – Matara
4x400m 3:20.28 Min Maris Stella College – Negombo
Under 20 Boy’s
100m 10.57 secs. S Faleel Gateway College-Kandy
200m 21.30 secs. K.K Idupa Silva Ananda Sastralaya – Kotte
400m 46.59 secs K.L.A Akalanka Ambagamuwa C C – Ambagamuwa
800m 1:51.42 Min G.L.N.D Liyanage Weera Kappetipola C C – Akuramboda
400m Hurdles 50.51 secs K.L.A Akalanka Ambagamuwa C C – Ambagamuwa
Under 16 Girl’s
200m 25.31 secs N R Ekanayaka Dharmapala C – Pannipitiyta
100M Hurdles 14.54 secs H.A.L Sandali Royal International School, Kurunegala
Triple Jump 12.02 M K.A.D.S.M Perera St. Lawrence’s Convert – Colombo 06
4x100m 49.91 secs Dharmapala C – Pannipitiya
Under 18 girl’s
100m 11.88 secs D Fernando Lyceum International School-Wattala
200m 24.40 secs D Fernando Lyceum International School-Wattala
High Jump 1.70 M D.K.M.D Abeyrathna Presidents College – Embilipitiya
4x100m 48.19 Sec Lyceum International School-Wattala
4x400m 3:56.35 Min Lyceum International School-Wattala
Under 20 Girl’s
800m 2:09.01 Min K.T Nuhansa Matara Central College
