Artillery & Women Corps win overall championships at Army Road Race - 2020

Colombo (News 1st); The Army Road Race - 2020, an annual feature popular among Army athletes was flagged off by Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff & Commander of the Army at the Army HQ entrance on Saturday (26) with 125 participants, representing 17 Regiments, and ended at Panagoda Army Cantonment covering approximately a distance of about 22 km.

Organized by the Sri Lanka Army Athletic Committee, chaired by Major General Harendra Ranasinghe, Director General, Operations, the annual athletic event, inclusive of about 15 female marathon runners of the Army started off at 8.00 a.m. during a simple ceremony and ran via Diyatha Uyana, Battaramulla, Malabe, Athurugiriya, Habarakada, Godagama along the High Level road up to the Panagoda Army cantonment before the race ended near the Army Gymnasium at Panagoda.

At the finishing venue too, the day's Chief Guest, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, providing a catalyst to athletic skills of young soldiers, together with Major General Jagath Gunawardena, Chief of Staff and Chairman, Sri Lanka Amy sports Committee, Major General Harendra Ranasinghe and several other Senior Officers was present at the finish to receive them.

The Army Road Race Championship, started in 1951 has to-date produced many national and international level Army marathon runners to the country.

The Army Road Race, held on par with international standards is generally observed by a panel of judges of national and international recognition, following arrangements, made by the Army Athletic Committee.

In a subsequent Media interaction, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva said "Today, the 55th Army Road Race is important because this sort of an event helps uplift sports talents of Army personnel at a time Sports has emerged prominent. By continuing this championship event, we have helped to groom Army sportsmen and women to represent at national and international games. Despite COVID-19 threat, we continued to have this race in order to sustain their athletic skills and spirits of sports."

List of achievers is as follows;

Overall Championship - (Men’s Category) - Sri Lanka Artillery

Overall Championship - (Women’s Category) - Sri Lanka Army Women Corps

Men’s Category

First Place – Lance Bombadier K. Sammugeshwaran – Sri Lanka Artillery

Second Place – Corporal P. K. K. S. M Gunasekara – Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment

Third Place - Corporal G. M. S. R Wijewickrama – Gemunu Watch

Women’s Category

First Place – Private W. M Herath – Sri Lanka Army Women Corps

Second Place - Private P. M. S Sewwandhi – Sri Lanka Army Women Corps

Third Place - Private M. G. I. K. K Sugathapala – Sri Lanka Signal Corp