Ishani Erandika breaks 34-year-old 100m backstroke record
SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
Ishani Erandika Senanayake erased a 34-year-old 100m backstroke record in the girls under-19 event and 15 new records were established on day two of the 41st Sri Lanka Schools Age Group Swimming Championship worked off at the Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo yesterday.Senanayake, the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya student clocked 1:15.54 erasing the previous record of 1:17.05 set up by Renuka Ranasinghe of St Bridget's Convent in 1980 Age Group Championship.However, country's national record holder for backstroke events, Asian International School's Kimiko Raheem established three new records yesterday in her pet events. Raheem, who competes in the Under-15 age category, set three new records in under-15 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke events.
Dillon Abeysinghe of Asian International School competes in the 200m Individual Medley.
Ishani Erandika Senanayake of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo competes in the under-19 200m backstroke event.
Raheem clocked 1:08.20 in 100m backstroke eclipsing the previous record of 1:14.68 set by Vinoli Siriwardene Mahamaya College Kandy in 2012. Kimiko's 30.32 time in 50m backstroke, shattered her own record of 30.51 set in last year. She will be competing in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games this year, completed triple records with 200m backstroke clocking 2:37.37 erasing the previous record of 2:43.73 set by Vinoli Siriwardene of Mahamaya College Kandy in 2012.Hiruni de Zoysa of Gateway College set up two new meet records in Under-17 100m butterly and 200m Individual Medley. Zoysa (15), finished 100m butterfly event in 1:10.58 shattering the previous record of 1:10.94 set by South Asian Games medalist Miniruwani Samarakoon in 2009.De Zoysa broke the Under-17 200m Individual Medley with a new timing of 2:41.51 erasing the previous record of 2:44.02 set by Gihara Sachini Amarasinghe in 2010. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's record breaking swimmer Matthew Abeysinghe established two new meet records in Under-19 boys 100m freestyle and 100m butterly events. Lanka's Women's freestyle record holder Machiko Raheem also shattered two new meet records yesterday-to congratulate Shehara and the founding committee of WISTA Sri Lanka at the event where she said that more often than not women only end up in the industry through taking on a family business. Not being an exception to the norm, Sanjam too found herself in her first shipping conference as part of her family business. “I was directed to a wedding at the same venue by the doorman” she laughed, having to explain to him that she was there for the conference, once again Sanjam found herself out of place because “in a sea of dark blue and black blazers, I was wearing pink.”The trouble she feels is that as much as empowerment of women in the industry is needed, the mind set of society too needs to change.The key note speaker for the evening and Chairperson of the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka, Indrani Sugathadasa reiterated that women who do find themselves in a man’s world have no choice other than to do their absolute best and strive hard. Despite the high ratio of women educating themselves and fighting the odds, she feels employment often drowns them and leaves them in the background whereas “men are generally in the limelight.”Believing that the time has come for empowerment and being recognised for their efforts she feels for the women in the shipping field WISTA is a timely and apt mechanism.Friendship
Young girls off on a mercy mission to a Sri Lankan orphanage. Three teenage pupils from Stanwell Comprehensive school in Penarth are making their way to Sri Lanka to work in an orphanage as part of a major charity campaign. The girls, left to right, Issy Broughton, FFion Wood, and Gabrielle Harding, all aged 16 years.Three South Wales teenagers have embarked on a trip of a lifetime to Sri Lanka on a mission to help teach children in an orphanage and school.Close friends Issy Broughton, Ffion Wood and Gabrielle Harding, all 16 and from Sully in the Vale of Glamorgan, are in Sri Lanka as volunteers with volunteer travel organisation Projects Abroad.They have begun teaching at a school and orphanage in a coastal town near Colombo.The trio, who attend Stanwell Comprehensive School in Penarth, have been planning the trip for several months and launched a major fundraising campaign to help pay for the venture.They are midway through the two-week trip and will be returning home on Sunday.Gabrielle said: “We were really looking forward to being out here for two weeks and we have not be disappointed. It has been an amazing journey and one we will never forget.“We’ve learnt so much from the experience.”All three have been overseas before but this is the first time the tight-knit group have been together as volunteers on a project.Gabrielle added: “It is really different from going on holiday. I heard about it from one of my friends who did it last year and said it was an unforgettable experience.”Ffion said: “I have always been interested in care in the community. The work we are doing here is challenging but is something we will learn from.”
The girls are living with a Sri Lankan family and spending the mornings teaching the children and the afternoons painting the school.
to congratulate Shehara and the founding committee of WISTA Sri Lanka at the event where she said that more often than not women only end up in the industry through taking on a family business. Not being an exception to the norm, Sanjam too found herself in her first shipping conference as part of her family business. “I was directed to a wedding at the same venue by the doorman” she laughed, having to explain to him that she was there for the conference, once again Sanjam found herself out of place because “in a sea of dark blue and black blazers, I was wearing pink.”The trouble she feels is that as much as empowerment of women in the industry is needed, the mind set of society too needs to change.The key note speaker for the evening and Chairperson of the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka, Indrani Sugathadasa reiterated that women who do find themselves in a man’s world have no choice other than to do their absolute best and strive hard. Despite the high ratio of women educating themselves and fighting the odds, she feels employment often drowns them and leaves them in the background whereas “men are generally in the limelight.”Believing that the time has come for empowerment and being recognised for their efforts she feels for the women in the shipping field WISTA is a timely and apt mechanism.Friendship
