The So-Sri Lanka Pro 2019, Men’s Qualifying Series 3000 Championship was held recently at Arugambay with the participation of 94 international surfers from 25 countries contested.
There were 18 local surfers selected through a Wild Card system while logistical arrangements were provided by Lanka Sportreizen which paved the way for this Event to go down in history as having the largest foreign participation.
Without doubt, their performances justified the trust that both the World Surf League (WSL) and the Surfing Federation of Sri Lanka (SFSL) placed in them by selecting them as the Event Partner. Lanka Sportreizen is no stranger to surfing or sports in Sri Lanka in addition to being Sri Lanka’s most popular Adventure Tour Operator and it was no secret that their efforts to place Sri Lanka as a destination for recreational activities has borne fruit as three of their Events are placed in the International Sporting Calendar viz the LSR Colombo Marathon, Sri Lanka T-Cup – Road Cycling Race and the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ Mountain Biking Challenge’.
LSR’s expertise in surfing has been showcased in the past while conducting international surfing Eents such as the British Pro Surfing Championships, the Rating Tournaments of the Japanese Professional Surfing Association and the World Qualifying Series Surfing Championship held in Arugambay in 2010/2011.
It was commendable to note the confidence placed in LSR by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau to promote sporting events that boost the image of Sri Lanka.