06th March 2022 07:19:55 Hours
The Army's unfailing contribution to the growth of varieties of sports to compete in both national and international levels has apparently reached the dizzy heights of revitalization and revival in the most recent months, thanks to the prioritized attention being given to this unique sphere by none other than the Commander of the Army, General Shavendra Silva himself who is also currently the Chairman, National Sports Selection Committee to be in line with the Army's ongoing 'Way Forward Strategy 2020-2025'.
Record victories and achievements in the past three months alone (December-February) in Cricket, Basketball, Volleyball, Karate, Motor Racing, Riding & Driving, Billiards, Wrestling, Netball, Elle, Badminton, Table Tennis, Archery, Squash, Rugby, Tug of War, High Jump, Baseball and other athletic events, majority of those gains at national or international events vying largely with civil sector sportsmen and sportswomen, amply reaffirm that Army athletes and contributors are continuously groomed to be formidable players, capable of taking on any challenge, be it here or abroad.
To-date, both Army Men's (A & B) & Women's teams participating in the recent Tug of War Championship, organized by Pugoda Double Sports Club on Saturday (26) at Pugoda Bodirajarama School premises secured two 1st place slots, one 2nd place slot and one 3rd place slot respectively in a convincing manner, beating 26 island-wide teams, including Navy, Police, Civil Security Department and civil sector teams. They vied in the 640 kg weight category and excelled beating rival teams. Similarly, Sri Lanka Army Women’s teams clinched the 1st and 2nd places under the 560 kg weight category in the same tournament.
In the US, a Private of the Sri Lanka Army Service Corps broke his own record and made a new national record of 2.27 meters in High Jump during 25 -26 February at Lone Star Conference Indoor Competition in the Tech Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas. The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a collegiate athletic conference, affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the US.
In Singapore, Army weightlifters a few days ago won the Gold Medal in (67 kg) weight category and the Bronze Medal in (55kg) weight category in the International Weightlifting Championship - 2022 making a debut at the international arena. One Sergeant of the Commando Regiment and a Corporal of the Sri Lanka Army General Service Corps won the Gold Medal in (67 kg) weight category and the Bronze Medal in (55kg) weight category respectively in the International Weightlifting Championship - 2022, held in Singapore and qualified to represent the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
The Army Karate Team competing in the Karate SL Premier League-2022 meanwhile won the Championship on Sunday (27) defeating 16 teams. Navy, Air Force, Police and leading Karate teams in the island were in the fray during this tournament.
Sri Lanka Cricket as well as Army Cricket, needless to reiterate, boasts a very close and cordial affinity since the Sri Lanka Army has been at the forefront of producing, if not grooming a considerable number of budding cricketers to the national pool for so many years as distinctly evident when perusing the catalogue of those famed cricketers. In recent times, Army cricketers reached up to semi-finals in the Major Premier League Cricket tournament-2021 (50 Overs). Presently Major Dinesh Chandimal and Private Mahesh Theekshana are representing the Sri Lanka National Cricket team. Similarly, Warrant Officer 1 Sekkuge Prasanna, Staff Sergeant Asela Gunarathna are among those still waiting to play again for the Sri Lankan team. On Monday (28 Feb), the Army Cricket Club beating the rival, Ace Capital Cricket Club by 7 wickets emerged the winners in the Major Club Emerging 3-Day Cricket Tournament -2022.
Footballers in the Army on par with Army ruggerites have also etched a name for themselves. Sri Lanka Army Defenders Football Club has also shone well in national level tournaments and gained noteworthy achievements. Four players in the Defenders Football Club currently represent the Sri Lanka National Football team and their coaches are tirelessly guiding them to raise their standards with the support of the Army. Rugby players of the Army, a force to be reckoned with, are continuing their encounters with the country's most challenging clubs and their past gains are certainly admirable.
Simultaneous athletic achievements, secured by wheelchair-borne Army War Heroes are also of noteworthy nature. On Tuesday (1) during the 10th Negombo Open International Wheelchair Tournament gave the win to Sergeant D. S R Dharmasena of Sri Lanka Artillery Regiment in the Men's Open Singles. Similar past records have brought credit to both the country and the Army in wheelchair tennis and badminton.
Beating several Central Asian country teams, Army Beach volleyball players in a remarkable encounter meanwhile secured the runners-up slot a few days ago after a close tussle with the Iranian Team at Negombo beach. So did Army racing drivers & riders in the 26th edition of the Southern ‘Eliyakanda Speed Hill Climb’ Motocross event held at Matara - Eliyakanda Motocross Track where a Lance Corporal of the Corps Sri Lanka Army Military Police (SLCMP) won the second place in the SM-SuperMotard 250/450 cc event. The racing event, organized by the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports, together with the Southern Motor Sport Club had13 motorcycle entries and 15 motor car events covering a distance of 600 m track, competed by 120 Drivers and 94 Riders.
In the meantime, the Sri Lanka Army's Basketball Team competing against ten island-wide civil and military Basketball teams in the just concluded 53rd Senior National Basketball Tournament (14-20 Feb) at Sugathadasa Stadium clinched the runner-up slot for the first time after the year 1977 after a close tussle against their rival, Mercantile Basketball Team. The final match between the Mercantile Basketball team and the Sri Lanka Army Basketball team took place on Sunday (20).
Likewise, the Sri Lanka Army wrestlers' team in the National Wrestling Championship 2021, held during 22-23 January 2022 at Maharagama National Youth Council auditorium securing 2 Gold medals, 4 Silver medals and 5 - Bronze medals won the 3rd place in the Tournament after competing against 10 leading sports clubs in the country, including Navy and Air Force teams.
The National Netball Championship - 2021, held at Digana ground in Kandy during 22-23 January 2022 with the participation of 32 leading Netball Associations in Sri Lanka meanwhile placed the Army women's team in the 3rd place after close encounters with their finalists.
Similarly, the Sri Lanka Army Elle Team won the Championship Trophy-2022 in the government sector Inter Institute Elle Tournament - 2022, played at the Ampara District public ground during 23-25 January 2022 where twenty teams, including the Sri Lanka Army Elle team vied for supremacy. The Sri Lanka Army Elle Team and the Ja- Ela Pradeshiya Sabha team vied in the final match.
In another impressive gain, the Sri Lanka Army Badminton players in Bangladesh won the Championship in Men's Double against their counterparts in the Indian team in the 'Yonex Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge-2021', Badminton competition, held during 1 - 5 December at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Two Sri Lankan Army badminton players of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry and a soldier of the Sri Lanka Army Service Corps participated in the tournament in the final encounter. Players from 9 countries, including India, Malaysia, Maldives, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka competed in the events.
Symbolic of deep-rooted practices, the Army Archers' Team, competing in the National Archery Championship Tournament - 2021, held in December 2021 was awarded four Gold medals and one Silver medal in the national event in appreciation of their gains.
The unfailing Army players in the just-concluded 16th National Tug of War Championship-2021 meanwhile emerged overall Champions and carried away the Trophy beating 37 leading Sports Clubs in men/women categories who vied for supremacy. Organized by the National Tug of War Association, it was held at the Torrington ground, Colombo. In addition, 7 teams of the Sri Lanka Army also competed in the Championship tournament and succeeded in winning this year's overall championship with impressive gains.
Recently, both Male and Women's Baseball teams of the Sri Lanka Army won the championship in the Sri Lanka Baseball Knockout Championship, competed by several island-wide teams. In the same manner, Army Table Tennis players secured the Championship and the Runner-up (35 Years –Double) slot in the recent National Table Tennis Championship.
It was only last summer Sergeant (Retd) Dinesh Priyantha of the Army came up with his best throw of 67.79m to set a new world record in the men’s F46 category and clinched Sri Lanka’s maiden Gold in Paralympics at the Olympic Stadium on 30 August 2021 in Japan. The Army was also invited to send Lieutenant Colonel D.M.T.C Dassanayake to serve as a Judge in the firing events in the 32nd Olympic Games held in Tokyo. The senior officer of the Sri Lanka Army General Service Corps joined history as the first-ever judge selected for firing events from Sri Lanka in the Olympics, indeed a recognized honour to the Army and the country.
