Sithum Umesh Dilshan the volleyball and athletic star from Nattandiya

On Jul 23, 2021

Eighteen year old volleyball player and athlete Garumuni Devage Sithum Umesh Dilshan who hails from Nattandiya was born on 31st January 2003 and he was admitted to Dhamissara National School in 2009 to the grade one when R.K.W.Gunasekara was at the helm of the school and his first class teacher was Mrs.Pathmaseeli.

From his smaller days he showed an interest in sports and when he was in the second standard at the Inter House Athletic Meet he participated in the 50 and 75 metre races and came second and in the next year he came first in both the above events and at the Divisional Meet came third and in the following year he did 75 and 100 and came first and at the Divisional meet he was third.

When he was in the grade five he did 100 and 200 metres and came second and he took part in the sports meets up to grade ten but he did not take any interest to to take part in higher meets.

When he was in grade six he took part in the inter house kiddies volleyball tournament in 2014 and his team were victorious.

Then his parents G.D Jayarathne and Yasawathie Sajeeva encouraged him to proceed with volleyball and in the following year he played for the school volleyball team under the coach and Master in Charge was Keerthi Jayasekera.

Then in the following year they won the under 14 lower tournaments and they could not come up to expectations at the Provincial Tournament.

In the following year going through the same process they were the All Island DSI third placed team and in the following year at the Inter Schools National Championship they were the Runners up and at the DSI they could not win a place

In the following year at the North Western Inter Schools under 17 tournament they lost to St.Xaviers College Marawila and in the next year they were the fourth in the all island tournament and in the under 19 age group once again they were the fourth in the DSI and in 2020 at the National Meet they were the champions.

He was selected for the 20 member sqnad for the youth tour of Bahrain. His coach and Master in Charge was Keerthi Jayasekera and the Principal Anil Pushpakumara helped him in many ways.