Olympic Day Celebrations 2024
The event took place in the historic District of Kandy in the Central Province recently. Around 1000 school children from 10 schools participated in the parade from the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium to the National Sports Complex in Digana, covering a distance of approximately 2.5 kms. The western bands of Hoorikaduwa Balika Vidyalaya, Menikhinna & Hindu National School, Rajawella also participated in the parade with horse riders leading. Some national level athletes were also present on invitation. Altogether around another 200 Teachers, representatives of National Sports Federations & Government Organisations & volunteers of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka were also involved.
The theme of the Olympic Day Celebrations this year was Move, Learn & Discover : emphasizing the importance of physical activity, education & cultural exchange. The intended objectives of Move, Theme & Discover were for the event to promote the interconnectedness of physical activity, education, & cultural exchange as essential elements for personal growth, community development & global understanding.
During these celebrations a Tik Tok competition was held open to youth, with Nipun Diwanka being declared as the winner. It was conducted online during the entire month of May.
The Art & Craft competition was keenly contested by the youth as well as the school children with upto 100 participants, with 05 per group & 20 groups involved.
03rd Place :
Tamil College, Kengalla
Theme : Olympic Day Torch
Runners Up :
Hindu National College, Rajawella
Theme : Traditional Olympic Symbol
Winners :
A. Rathnayake Central college, Walala
Theme : Olympic Dream
The Fitness Challenge was conducted as an Obstacle Race. 20 school children consisting of 05 per team participated, representing Kengala Maha Vidyalaya, Rajawella Kanishta Vidyalaya, Menikhinna Maha Vidyalaya & Pathadumbara Maha Vidyalaya.
Runners Up : Rajawella Kanishta Vidyalaya
Champions : Pathadumbara Maha Vidyalaya
In addition, a Zumba session was conducted for around 50 Sports Officers & Parents. The Horse Riding workshop for youth & school children attracted 30 enthusiasts. A forum for Parents & Sport Teachers was also held with around 50 attending. The Tree Planting programme was open to the public with saplings distributed by Nulara Nelindie Ekanayake – a 13 year old, year 09 student of Visaka Vidyalaya, Colombo. She is working towards the protection of nature & championing initiatives such as recycling of used plastic pens. She was keen to introduce her own project titled ” Grow and Glow with Nulee ” – an ambitious drive to plant 100,000 saplings. The Cultural Troupe of the Department of Kandyan Dancing, University of Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy (CIBA Campus ),Pallekele was also invited to add colour to the event. The national & international award winning performers highlighted the Sri Lankan religious & cultural heritage. This item was facilitated by the Hon. Diyawadana Nilame – Nilanga Dela Bandara on the request of the organisers of the event. A gymnastics display by Kagimiya Munehiru Club of Colombo was also included to spice up the participation of youth during the day.
Participating as the Chief Guest was the Governor of the Central Province, Hon. Lalith U Gamage. The Guest of Honour was Ms.Olivia Bellemere, Cultural & Co-operation Counsellor, Embassy of France. Other distinguished invitees present were Ajith Premasinghe – Chief Secretary, Central Province, Menaka Herath – Chief Education Secretary – Central Province, Athula Jayawardene – Director of Sport, Ministry of Education & Mrs. Rajagopal Thilageshwary – Provincial Director of Sport, Dept. of Sports, Ministry of Sports. Maxwell De Silva – Secretary General, Suranjith Premadasa – Vice President, Chandana Liyanage – Assistant Secretary & Chef de Mission, Team Sri Lanka – Paris 2024, Shirantha Peiris – Assistant Treasurer were the representatives of the Executive Committee of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka who were involved in the Opening / Closing ceremonies at this event.
The Central Provincial Council, The Ministries of Education & Sports – Central Province, The Embassy of France, The Dalada Maligawa – Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha, The Sri Lanka Police, The Sri Lanka Equestrian Federation, Individuals & Groups / Organisations assisted the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, who organized & conducted the International Olympic Day Celebrations 2024 in Sri Lanka.
Visuals by Thusith Wijedoru – Official Photographer
Interview courtesy Spoty.lk – Digital Partner