Sri Lanka’s junior national sailing team left for the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) Asian and Oceanian Championship on Saturday with seven boys and three girls under the age of 15 to contest the event in Abu Dhabi starting on Monday.
The Sunday Observer is made to understand that the students comprising six from Royal College, one from S. Thomas’ College and three from Ladies College qualified after trials and trained by the national sailing coach Krishan Janaka and assistant national coach Roshil Nishantha.
The team comprises Yusef Hazari (Royal College), Kevaan de Costa (Royal College), Minuga Hettigamage (Royal College), Vonal Boteju (Royal College), Luqman Aneeq (Royal College), Muazzam Imtiaz (Royal College), Haren Wickramathillake (S. Thomas’ College), Sohanya de Mel (Ladies College), Kyoshi Samarakkody (Ladies College) and Kyasha Samarakkody (Ladies College).
“This year’s team has been training in the Trincomalee seas as well as at the Mattakuliya Naval base. We are confident they will do well,” said coach Krishan Janaka in a Media statement.
Due to the high number of sailors participating in this year’s event, the 2023 championships will field three fleets instead of the regular two – Gold and Silver. A total of 160 racers from around the world including Sri Lanka, the USA, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, New Zealand, China, India, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE are expected to participate this year.
“Most of the sailors participated in the last year’s championship as well after a three year break due to Covid. We hope that they will bring home a medal this time,” said Sarath Kuragama, the Chief Operating Officer of the Yachting Association of Sri Lanka.
The event is the continental championship for Asian and Oceanian member nations that are part of the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA).
