04th September 2008- Daily News
President’s Trophy Swimming C’ships
Chris DHAMBARAGE
The second annual Mercantile swimming championships for the President’s Trophy organised by the Thurstan College Aquatic Club in association with the Sri Lanka Amateur Aquatic Sports Union (SLAASU) will be worked off on October 12 at the Thurstan College Swimming Pool Complex.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa reminiscing his happy childhood at Thurstan College and an athlete of Public School fame decided to promote the President’s Trophy to mark yet another memorable chapter in the history of sports at Thurstan.
The inaugural championship in 2007 was a tremendous success with a large participation and was won by John Keells Holdings while SriLankan Airlines became the worthy runners up.
This year the Organising Committee is making elaborate arrangements to add many new features that should attract a large number of swimming enthusiasts from the Mercantile Sector. The Organising Committee of this event is headed by Lion Graetian Gunawardhana the sole presenter of the swimming pool complex to his beloved alma mater and the chairman of the swimming pool complex.
The Management Company also includes the pioneer swimmer from Thurstan Gavin Amarasinghe for technical advice and the present President of the swimming pool Management Committee Bhathiya Seebert. Each mercantile firm can enter only one team for men and women and the teams should be represented by only a maximum of three participants per event excluding the relay events.
In addition each competitor is allowed to take part in a maximum of three events in each category excluding the relays. In respect of relay events a firm could enter upto two teams per event.
The names of all such participants should be listed in the entry form.
Entries close on September 25 with Raja Weerasuriya, Manager, Thurstan College Swimming Pool Complex Office, Thurstan College , Colombo 3.
(News source – http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/09/04/spo03.asp)