Tharindu Samaranayake is a village student from Hambantota who excelled in studies and sports and is now in the process of taking up a football career in the Air Force.
Samaranayake enrolled at Ananda College on a scholarship and pursued his passion in football while at the same time focusing in cadetting that spurred him on to be interested in joining the Air Force.
His father Hemachandra Samaranayake was a principal at Debokkama MMV and mother Geethani Liyanage was a teacher at Thalawa Primary School were in Hambantota.
“After I obtained ten As in the Ordinary Level exam, my mother wanted me to follow engineering but I chose ICT engineering to manage my sports activities as well. I was the vice captain of the College first eleven soccer team. I assured my parents that I will make some impact in ICT but was not sure about mathematics,” recalled Samaranayake.
“I had confidence in my studies and sports and decided to join the Saunders SC football training camp and was selected to play in their division II team”.
“My results at the Advanced Level examination was second best in the island in the respective subjects I did. My long time desire is to work at the Air Force,” said Samaranayake.
The Air Force invited him to join them after a newspaper quoted him saying he was keen on a career in the flying force and playing football.
“My future plan is to become a fighter pilot”, said Samaranayake.