The oldest schools athletic championship, the Sir John Tarbat Athletic Championship that is set to be held islandwide from the month of May, will bring together over 30,000 athletes from nearly 1,300 schools.
It will be conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Athletic Association (SLSAA) is organized and coordinated under the supervision of the Education Ministry.
Starting off the events and building on the immense success of the previous years, the Ritzbury Relay Carnival will be conducted on an even grander scale in 2025 from April 9 to 11 at the Diyagama Stadium.
The 54th Ritzbury Sir John Tarbat Junior Athletic Championship comprising Under-12, 13, 14 and 15 categories, will get off with the first stage scheduled with the events for the Southern, Sabaragamuwa Provinces and Monaragala district at the Beliatta Stadium on May 17 and 18.
This year’s Junior championship calendar also includes the new addition of a meet in Gampaha, especially considering the higher participation of students from that district and will be held on June 19 and 20 at the Wathupitiwala Stadium.
The events for the Central, Northwestern Provinces and Badulla district will be held at the Digana Stadium from June 4 to 6, while the Kalutara and Colombo district events will be at the Bandaragama Public ground from July 2 to 4. Similarly, events for the Northern Province and Anuradhapura district will be at Jaffna’s Durraiappa Stadium on July 16 and 17 and the Eastern Province and Polonnaruwa District events will take place at the Batticaloa Weber Ground on July 19 and 20. The 93rd edition of the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletic Championship will be scheduled to be held from August 21 to 24 at the Sugathadasa Stadium and will feature age groups ranging from Under-16, 18 and 20. Additionally, a Marathon event has been added to the Senior Championship calendar and is scheduled to be held between October 10 to 13.
Ritzbury takes immense pride in championing these events that unites young athletes from every corner of the island in this manner, with the students who excel during the first stage getting the exciting opportunity to compete in the final championship in Colombo.
Nilupul de Silva, General Manager Marketing at CBL Foods International Pvt Ltd., underscored Ritzbury’s continued commitment to nurturing young athletes stating, “Ritzbury, together with the Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association (SLSAA) is proud to once again announce the start of the Sir John Tarbat Athletic Championship, the most anticipated schools’ athletics event of the year. We remain committed to developing the young sporting talent of the country and our long-standing partnership with the SLSAA is key to this end.”
Ms. DASS Wijesinha, President of Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association (SLSAA) expressed appreciation for Ritzbury’s consistent support of the Championship.
“The Championship’s continued relevance and success is a testament to the role Ritzbury plays in shaping young athletes and in building a culture of health and wellbeing for the country,” added Ms. Wijesinha.
