07th March 2023 19:32:45 Hours
Army cyclists, continuing to hold the fort of cycling in the organization clinched the overall championship title in the three-stage Sri Lanka Air Force, organized 24th edition of the ‘GuwanHamudaPapediSawariya’ that ended in Anuradhapura on Saturday (4).
The Sri Lanka Army Cyclists proved to be the strongest team of the competition, winning all three stages and securing the overall championship. They showed their dominance from the very beginning, and their skillful riding and excellent teamwork propelled them to victory. The Sri Lanka Air Force team put up a good resistance and was able to secure the second place in the team championship.
Men’s event began with 160 cyclists, drawn from all corners of the island on Thursday (2) from the Colombo Air Force HQ. This is the 24th edition of the ‘GuwanHamudaPapediSawariya’.
The highly-anticipated event for cyclists all around the country. The first stage of the competition was a gruelling 116.7km race from Colombo to Kandy. The Army Cyclists took the lead early on and were able to maintain it throughout the race, crossing the Finish Line with a time of 3 hours by Lance Corporal ThushanRajapaksha.
The second stage was a 146.7km race from Pallekale to Polonnaruwa, and once again, the Army Cyclists dominated, finishing with a time of 3 hours and 43 minutes by Craftsmen SarangaPerera.
The final stage was a 132km race from Habarana to Anuradhapura, and the Army Cyclists finished strong with a time of 2 hours and 59 minutes by Lance Corporal TharinduTissera. Cyclists from all around the country as well as from abroad participated in this race; covering a total distance of 395.4km. Sri Lanka Army Cyclists managed to defend the championship by completing total course within 9 hours 43 minutes and 31 seconds.
The Indian Air Force team also put up an impressive performance with some of their riders finishing in the top 10 of each stage. Their participation added an international dimension to the event, and it was great to see athletes from different countries coming together to compete and showcase their skills.
The Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General VikumLiyanage and Chief of Staff, Chairman Army Sports Committee Major General ChannaWeerasooriya throughout the race gave inspirational support. Chairman Army Cycling Committee, Director General Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Major General RanjanJayasekara and Vice Chairman Colonel Mahesh Gunasekara took part during the starting point at the Air Force Headquarters and also at the end in the Salgadu Ground – Anuradhapura.
The Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal SudarshanaPathirana graced the awarding ceremony, held at the SLAF Base Anuradhapura as the chief guest,
Results are as follows:
Men’s Championship
Winner of Stage 1 - Lance Corporal Thushan Rajapaksha - Sri Lanka Army
Winner of Stage 2 - Craftsmen Avishka Medonsa - Sri Lanka Army
Winner of Stage 3 - Lance Corporal Tharindu Tissera - Sri Lanka Army
Men’s Team Champion - Sri Lanka Army Team
Men’s Team Runners Up - Sri Lanka Air Force
Overall Men’s Champion - Lance Corporal Thushan Rajapaksha - Sri Lanka Army
Overall Men’s 2nd Place - Corporal Avishka Medonsa - Sri Lanka Army
Women’s Championship
Overall Women’s 4th place - Lance Corporal Madumali Fernando - Sri Lanka Army
Overall Women’s 8th place - Lance Corporal Akasha Sandamini - Sri Lanka Army
Overall Women’s 10th place - Corporal Udeshani Niranjani - Sri Lanka Army
