With minimal facilities, Mawathagama Central College weightlifters dominated in the All Island Schools Weightlifting Championship conducted by Sri Lanka Schools Weightlifting Association under the guidance of the Ministry of Education held at Royal College, Polonnaruwa last week.
Starting the sport in 2019, Mawathagama Central College fielded 10 weightlifters in this annual meet, won one a gold medal and a silver medal apart from three fourth places winning first weightlifting performance in the school history.
Competing in the Under-17 age group Tharushi Ranatunga won a gold medal in 76kg category and Malsha Kumari won a silver medal in 64kg weight category bringing glory to this mere facility Kurunegala school. Ranatunga lifted altogether 110kgs with 50kg in snatch and 60 kgs in Clean and Jerk.
“I am happy to win a gold medal in my category, last year I won the silver medal in this tournament, from that day my target was to win the gold medal, so I worked hard. So, I am really happy,” said Tharushi Ranatunga after victory. Silver medal winner in the 64kg weight class, Malsha Kumari said” I am happy to win this medal but bit worry to not winning the gold, my intention is to win the gold next year for my school, by training hard, said Malsha
Kumari, whose father Hemantha Bandara, a disabled lottery seller in the
town in a wheelchair, who feed Malsha. Apart from these medal winning feats, three other athletes, Amantha Ratnayake finished fourth in Under-17 73kg weight category and Hirusha Bandara finished in the Under-17 89kg weight category as well as competing in the Under-20 109kg weight category, Chamara Dassanayake claimed a fourth place.
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