Sri Lanka created history in Cardiff, Wales in the United Kingdom by winning their first-ever gold medal at the Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships 2025. This proud achievement was made possible by two outstanding young schoolboys from Ananda College, Colombo – Hiruna De Silva and Meedum Mendis – who clinched the gold in the 12.5m Line Throw event on the penultimate day of the tournament.
Their performance was nothing short of heroic and it brought glory to the country as the Sri Lankan national anthem was played for the first time in the championship’s history.
Sri Lanka’s Hiruna De Silva and Meedum Mendis on the podium
“This gold medal is for our motherland,” said Hiruna and Meedum, their eyes filled with pride and joy. “It shows our strength, discipline and how far we’ve come as a team and as a country.”
Their historic achievement reminded everyone that teamwork and national pride can lead to great success. These young boys trained hard for years, swimming lap after lap, dreaming of this very moment. And now, they’ve made that dream come true for themselves – and for Sri Lanka.
In recognition of this special moment, the Sri Lankan team was invited to the Sri Lanka High Commission in the United Kingdom. There, the athletes were warmly welcomed and personally congratulated by the Deputy High Commissioner Manorie Mallikaratchy, who praised their commitment, discipline and success.
It was a memorable event for the team and it showed how deeply their achievement was appreciated back home and abroad.
But the journey wasn’t all smooth sailing. Earlier, in the competition, the Sri Lankan team faced heartbreak when they were disqualified from the Manikin Relay, an event where they had strong hopes of breaking a record.
However, like true sportspeople, they didn’t lose hope. Instead, they bounced back even stronger, proving that setbacks are just setups for comebacks. They responded with grit and passion by setting six new national records, showing that they could still shine without a medal.
In the Boys’ individual events, team captain Nimuthu Perera, also from Ananda College, gave an outstanding performance in the 100m Manikin Tow with Fins, finishing in one minute 06.39 seconds.
This broke the previous national record of 1:08.80s, which was held by his own teammate Chris Pavithra from the Police Lifesaving Club. But Chris wasn’t far behind. He also had a golden moment when he broke his own record in the 100m Manikin Carry with Fins, setting a new time of 55.60s, bettering his previous record of 59.19s.
In the Boys’ team events, Sri Lanka continued their excellent form. In the 4x25m Manikin Relay, the team of Nimuthu Perera, Chris Pavithra, Tanash de Silva of Dharmasoka Vidyalaya and Meedum Mendis clocked one minute 17.64s, smashing the previous record of 1:29.83s. They didn’t stop there. In the 4x50m Medley Relay, the same four boys set another national record of one minute 40.74s, improving the earlier mark of 1:51.72s.
These were not just wins on the scoreboard – they were bold statements of Sri Lanka’s rising standard in lifesaving.
The Girls’ events were equally inspiring. Isindi Vithulya of Sangamitta Balika Vidyalaya, Galle, swam her way into the record books by breaking her own record in the 100m Manikin Tow with Fins.
Her new time of one minute 16.94s bettered her earlier record of 1:20.97s. Then came another team victory. In the 4x50m Medley Relay, the Girls’ team – Vinuki Perera (Vice-Captain – Musaeus College), Kalashi Ranabahu, Sandali Sumathipala (both from Musaeus College) and Isindi Vithulya -finished with a new national record of two minutes 05.24s, shattering the previous record of 2:12.94s.
All these achievements didn’t come by accident. They were the result of months and years of hard work, guided by a committed team of coaches and managers.
Mahesh Anudatta, lifesaving coach of Nalanda College and Roshan Wijesinghe, ASCA Level III certified coach and Head Coach of Musaeus College were the official coaches for this tournament.
The team was managed by Asanka Nanayakkara, CEO of Sri Lanka Life Saving and Project Director of the Swim for Safety Programme. He was also the Team Manager.
Supporting the girls and ensuring their wellbeing was Madhuka Fernando, the Principal of Defence Services College Colombo, who travelled as the Lady Chaperone.
Speaking after the event, Asanka Nanayakkara shared his thoughts: “This is a dream come true. We have waited many years for this moment. Our young athletes have shown that with commitment and passion, Sri Lanka can compete at the highest level. The gold medal and the six new national records prove the future is bright for lifesaving in our country.”
The full Sri Lankan Boys’ squad featured Nimuthu Perera (Captain – Ananda College), Hiruna De Silva (Vice Captain – Ananda College), Chris Pavithra (Police Lifesaving Club), Tanash de Silva (Dharmasoka Vidyalaya) and Meedum Mendis (Ananda College).
The Girls’ team included Sinali Rajapaksa (Captain – Musaeus College), Vinuki Perera (Vice-Captain – Musaeus College), Sandali Sumathipala, Kalashi Ranabahu and Isindi Vithulya.
The 2025 Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships had participations from 32 countries but only 11 national teams, including Sri Lanka, qualified for the National Category.
The Sri Lanka Lifesaving teams with the Deputy High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in the United Kingdom Manorie Mallikaratchy
That in itself was a big honour. But Sri Lanka didn’t stop at just participating – they made this their most successful championship ever, finishing with one gold medal and six new national records. It was a moment that will go down in Sri Lanka’s sporting history.
