Athual Wijawickrema made Kandy and the country proud by winning a gold medal in the Asian powerlifting Masters category meet, which was held in Kerala. Athula liftted a total of 637.5 kg. In the squat 265 kg which was a Asian record, and his dead lift was 235 kg and the bench press 137.5 kg.
Athula who hails from the famous Iron sports family, Wijawickrema’s in the early part of the year won a silver medal in Mr. Squat event at the Commonwealth power lifting championship held in Johannesburg in South Africa. He was also a fine weightlifter, and has won the national titles on sixteen occasions establishing over twenty records. And he is the man who introduced sport to young under 14 lifters. He gives a big hand for the sport. He was trained by his uncle S.A. Wijawickrema Jnr. He is attached to the Ministry of sports as a weightlifting coach.