The 93rd Sir John Tarbat Athletics Championship 2025 ended successfully at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Diyagama, recently.
Junior national hurdler Ayomal Akalanka became the standout player of the tournament by setting two new meet records in the 400-metre and 400-metre hurdles events. After a series of thrilling track & field events, Marris Stella College, Thimbirigaskatuwa & Lyceum I.S., Wattala, clinched the boy’s and girl’s overall championships, respectively.
The ace junior national hurdler, Ayomal Akalanka of Ambagamuwa Central College, clinched the 400m and 400m hurdles events with two new meet records and finally emerged as the best athlete (boy’s) of the competition. It is not surprising, as Ayomal already stamped his class at the recently concluded National Athletics Championship by being the national champion, and the victory eventually awarded him the best hurdler title. In addition, he won the best athlete title at the last Junior National Championship, and he had already excelled in the junior international athletics arena by winning medals at both the Youth Commonwealth Games and the Asian Youth Championships.
The rising sprinting star, Jithma Wijethunga of Lyceum IS Wattala, was adjudged as the Best Athlete (Girl’s) after her superb run in the under-20400m event. After a series of thrilling races with tight finishes, the relay overall championship went to St Benedict’s College, Colombo (boys), and Lyceum International School, Wattala (girls).
In the overall boys’ runners-up, the title went to St Benedict’s College, Kotahena, who finished with 103 points, while Lyceum IS, Wattala, secured third place with 94.5 points. One of the title contenders, Walala A. Ratnayake Central College, had to be satisfied with the overall girl’s runners-up title with 158 points, and Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya, clinched the overall girl’s third spot with 82 points.
Promising young talent S. Faleel of Gateway College, Kandy, became the fastest sprinter with a new meet record timing of 10.57 seconds. Further, the winner of the under-18 100 m race, C. Imesh of St Joseph’s College, Colombo 10, had the second-best timing of the meet with an impressive run of 10.68 seconds. The female sprinter from Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya, P U D R Perera, was the fastest woman athlete with a timing of 12.03 seconds at the girls’ under-20 100-metre race.
Best Athlete (Boy’s) of the year 2025 K L Ayomal Akalanka, Ambagamuwa Central College (400Mh, 46.59 Sec, 1072 points, *New Meet Record)
Best Athlete (Girl’s) of the year 2025 – Jithma Wijethunga, Lyceum IS (400m, 53.87 Sec, 1055 Points)
Championships Results Summary
Overall Championship – Boy’s
- Champions – Marris Stella College – Thimbirigaskatuwa (Points 115)
- 2nd – St Benedict’s College – Colombo (Points 103)
- 3rd – Lyceum International School – Wattala (Points 94.5)
- 4th – St Joseph’s Vaz College – Wennappuwa (Points 86)
- 5th – Marris Stella College – Negombo (Points 57)
Overall Championship – Girl’s
- Champions – Lyceum International School – Wattala (Points 239)
- 2nd – A Rathnayake Central College – Walala (Points 158)
- 3rd – Dharmapala Vidyalaya – Pannipitiya (Points 82)
- 4th – St Bridget Convent – Colombo (Points 44)
- 5th – Ave Maria Convent, Negombo (Points 42) & Holy Cross College, Gampaha (Points 42)
Other Championships
1. U 16 Girls Championship – Lyceum International School – Wattala (Points 63)
2. U 16 Girls 1st Runner Up – Dharmapala Vidyalaya – Pannipitiya (Points 30)
3. U 16 Girls 2nd Runner Up – A Rathnayaka Central College – Walala (Points 23)
4. U 16 Boys Championship – Marris Stella College – Thimbirigaskatuwa (Points 61)
5. U 16 Boys 1st Runner Up – St Joseph’s Vaz College – Wennappuwa (Points 32)
6. U 16 Boys 2nd Runner Up – Lyceum International School – Wattala (Points 30)
7. U 18 Girls Championship – Lyceum International School – Wattala (Points 114)
8. U 18 Girls 1st Runner Up – A Rathnayaka Central College – Walala (Points 62)
9. U 18 Girls 2nd Runner Up – St Bridget Convent – Colombo 07 (Points 40)
10. U 18 Boys Championship – A Rathnayaka Central College – Walala (Points 44)
11. U 18 Boys 1st Runner Up – St Benedict’s College – Colombo 13 (Points 40)
12. U 18 Boys 2nd Runner Up – Maris Stella College – Thimbirigaskatuwa (Points 37)
13. U 20 Girls Championship – Lyceum International School – Wattala (Points 81)
14. U 20 Girls 1st Runner Up – A Rathnayaka Central College – Walala (Points 75)
15. U 20 Girls 2nd Runner Up – Dharmapala Vidyalaya – Pannipitiya (Points 47)
16. U 20 Boys Championship – St Benedict’s College – Colombo 13 (Points 38)
17. U 20 Boys 1st Runner Up – Lyceum International School – Wattala (Points 31.5)
18. U 20 Boys 2nd Runner Up – St Joseph’s Vaz College – Wennappuwa (Points 29)
19. Boys Field Event Championship – Marris Stella College – Thimbirigaskatuwa (Points 68)
20. Boys Field Event 1st Runner Up – Lyceum International School – Wattala (Points 54.5)
21. Boys Field Event 2nd Runner Up – St Joseph’s Vaz College – Wennappuwa (Points 34) 22. Girls Field Event Championship – Lyceum International School – Wattala (Points 48)
23. Girls Field Event 1st Runner Up – St Lawrence Convent – Colombo – (Points 40)
24. Girls Field Event 2nd Runner Up – Ave Maria Convent – Negombo (Points 39)
25. Track Event Championship – Girls – Lyceum International School – Wattala (Points 210) 26. Track Event 1st Runner Up – Girls – A Rathnayaka Central College – Walala (Points 140) 27. Track Event 2nd Runner Up – Girls – Dharmapala Vidyalaya – Pannipitiya (Points 63)
28. Track Event Championship – Boys – St Benedict’s College – Colombo (Points 70)
29. Track Event 1st Runner Up – Boys – Marris Stella College – Negombo (Points 66)
30. Track Event 2nd Runner Up – Boys – St Joseph’s Vaz College – Wennappuwa (Points 58) 31. Relay Championship-Girls – Lyceum International School – Wattala (Points 52)
32. Relay 1st Runner Up –Girls – A Rathnayaka Central College – Walala (Points 29)
33. Relay 2nd Runner Up -Girls – Dharmapala Vidyalaya – Pannipitiya (Points 23)
34. Relay Championship – Boys – St Benedict’s College – Colombo (Points 35)
35. Relay 1st Runner Up – Boys – St Joseph’s Vaz College – Wennappuwa (Points 25)
36. Relay 2nd Runner Up –Boys – Marris Stell College – Thimbirigaskatuwa (Points 22)
37. Best Long Jumper – T Sandil, St Peter’s College – Colombo04 (7.51m, 1032 Points)
38. Best High Jumper – Tharusha Dinushan Mendis, Lyceum IS (2.15m, 1046 Points, NMR) 39. Best 400m Runner – K L A Akalanka, Ambagamuwa Central College (46.59 Sec, 1072 points, NMR)
40. Out Station Overall Championship – Girls, A Rathnayaka Central College – Walala (Points 158)
41. Out Station Overall 1st Runner Up – Girls, Dharmapala Vidyalaya – Pannipitiya (Points 82)
42. Out Station Overall 2nd Runner Up – Girls Joint Championship Ave Maria Convent – Negombo (Points 42) & Holy Cross Vidyalaya – Gampaha (Points 42)
43. Out Station Overall Championship, Boys – Lyceum IS – Wattala (Points 94.5)
44. Out Station Overall 1st Runner Up – Boys – St Joseph’s Vaz College, Wennappuwa (Points 86)
45. Out Station Overall 2nd Runner Up – Boys – Marris Stella College – Thimbirigaskatuwa (Points 57)
