Arunthavarasa Puvitharan shattered the pole vault national record at the 60th Army Athletics Championships 2025 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Complex, Diyagama. During the event, he managed to clear a height of 5.18 metres by shattering the previous record of 5.17 meters which was set by himself.
Puvitharan, the rising young talent from Jaffna, has excelled in the event under the guidance of his coach, Kanagadeepan Goplan. In 2022, he came to the spotlight after clearing 5.00 meters at the Junior National Championships to set a new U23 meet record.
Puvitharan continued his fine rhythm and achieved a height of 5.11 meters at the 48th National Sports Festival (2024), claiming the gold medal. Later, he achieved another landmark performance by shattering the Sri Lankan national record for the first time with a clearance of 5.15 meters during trials for the Asian Athletic Meet at Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Complex, Diyagama. During the previous edition (59th Army Athletics Championships 2024), this ace athlete shattered his own record by posting a height of 5.17 meters at the same venue. The record stood for more than a year before the latest record break by Pivithuran and surely he will be aiming to reach more heights in the near future.
Currently, Lance Corporal Arunthavarasa Puvitharan is attached to the Sri Lanka Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (SLEME) Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army, the organisation which has nurtured and developed many young talents on the island to compete on the global stage over the years.
