The heat is on for the Inter University Championship 2024. As the grounds are lit and the players are giving their best to shatter the records once again, it is the perfect moment to look back at the previous outing of Sri Lankan University sports.
With a remarkable display of athleticism, SLUG 2023 etched its name in the history books as one of the most glorifying editions of the Sri Lanka University Games in the recent past. Four years of training and passion of athletes wanting to battle against their fellow universities meant only one thing, a record shattering epic edition of the pinnacle of Sri Lankan university sports. So, here’s a look back at the XIV SLUG 2023 and its unforgettable glory.
The battle of leather and willow at SLUG 2023 was elevated to a new level by the competitors. The tournament saw some new records set by the players, defining new standards.
During the clash against the Gampaha Wickramarachchi University team, Umesh Lakshan of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura made a staggering 244 of 146 deliveries, which etched his name into the record books. He broke the record for the highest score by a player in an innings and became the first-ever player to score a double century in the history of SLUG. His 263-run partnership with Leshan Amarasinghe is the highest for the second wicket. Lakshan went on to become the highest run scorer in the tournament and made valuable contributions in the final. The University of Sri Jayewardenepura scored 498 in this game and set the record for the highest score by a team in university cricket history.
Weeks of intense clashes at the preliminary rounds saw the University of Colombo and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura entering the finals, each poised to take that one final step toward hoisting the cup. And the final contest gave the spectators just what they hoped for.
The toss went in favour of the University of Colombo, and they elected to bat first. But their top order faltered as quick wickets fell and the scorecard showed 4 wickets for just 16 runs. But a century stand between Gihan Madusara and Himsara Randeni for the 5th wicket took them to a somewhat comfortable position. But the wicket of Himsara Randeni followed a comeback by the University of Sri Jayewardenepura as they picked up more quick wickets and restricted the University of Colombo to a below-par score of 197/9 at the end of the allocated 50 overs. Kasun Rodrigo and Dinath Dissanayake picked up 3 and 2 wickets, respectively.
The University of Sri Jayawardenapura’s reply innings also got into a shaky start after losing 4 wickets for 90 runs. But a counterattacking century by none other than the record breaker, Umesh Lakshan, declined a comeback by the University of Colombo, as they reached the 198 target in 44 overs with 5 wickets in hand. With this dominant performance, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura clinched the trophy for the third consecutive time.
XIV SLUG Rugby had some close and record-breaking encounters, magnifying the glory of the tournament. In the preliminary rounds, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura made an unbelievably dominant victory over the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka with a score of 135-0. It is the highest score ever in a game in the history of SLUG, surpassing the previous record of 117-0.
Four dominant teams, the University of Kelaniya, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, the University of Moratuwa, and the University of Colombo, reached the semis, with Kelaniya being the clear favourites, having won the Inter-University Rugby Championship in the preceding year. The University of Sri Jayewardenepura and the University of Kelaniya reached the finals, defeating Colombo and Moratuwa respectively in the semi-finals, and a fierce contest was expected in the finals.
The game looked tightly matched in the beginning, but the University of Sri Jayawardenapura made inroads as the game moved on and grasped control of the game. The final scorecard was shown as 19-12 in favour of Sri Jayewardenepura, and they were able to conquer a strong Kelaniya side. The clash between Colombo and Moratuwa ended with the University of Colombo triumphing over the University of Moratuwa to be the second runner-up.
The track and field events at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium were certainly not excluded from the brilliance of the tournament. Many record-breaking performances, several record-tying achievements, and numerous personal bests kept the vibrant crowd at the stadium on their feet for two thrilling days. Out of the record-breaking performances, most were claimed by the eventual track and field and overall tournament champions of SLUG 2023, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Here’s a recollection of those record-breakers.
At the men’s pole vault event, with a feat of 4.35 m, K.W.G.J.L.B. Wimalasena of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura clinched gold, setting a new record. A.M.C.I. Athapaththu tossed a record-breaking 38.82 m throw at the women’s discus throw, adding one more to the University of Sri Jayewardenepura tally. Not to be outdone, N.P.L.K. Pathirana from the same university followed suit in the men's discus throw, achieving a record-breaking 42.49 m. Another record fell in the men’s shot put, where L.K. Pathirana claimed gold with a record-breaking performance. S.A.T. Dasun and L.C. Kumarasiri from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura set new records for men’s high jump (2.07 m) and men’s triple jump (15.60 m), respectively.
On to the track events, B.P. Punsara, also from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, set a new meet record, clocking in at 54.07s. Meanwhile, at the men’s 200m final, R.R.D. Ranathunga of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka reached a new meet record with a time of 22.27s. And his achievements at SLUG 2023 didn’t stop there. Breaking another meet record, he secured gold at the men’s 110m hurdles, clocking 14.12s. The women’s 100m hurdles were no less thrilling as M.A.B. Nilmini set a new record with a 14.84s timing. Over in the women’s 400m event, B.S.L. Mendis from the University of Kelaniya marked a record clocking in at 54.95s. Raising the record count, D.T.A. De Silva from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura set a new record in the women’s 100m with an impressive 12.18s effort. The excitement continued in the relay events, where both the men’s and women’s 4x100m teams from Sabaragamuwa University broke meet records. Their achievements moved on to the men’s 4x400m relay, as they broke the existing record on their way to winning gold. At the women’s 5000m event, B.W.N. Sewwandi from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura claimed gold with a record-breaking performance of 19:46.73.
Boosting the heights of glory of the tournament, numerous record-breaking performances in swimming were showcased in SLUG 2023. The waters of the swimming arena at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura witnessed a new level of athleticism by the fierce competitors. Here’s a look at the swimming record books after SLUG 2023.’
S.M.S.S. Senarathna of the University of Kelaniya had the time of his life as he broke three impressive records in men’s events. His records include 100 m freestyle (54.24s), 200 m freestyle (2:04:96), and 50 m butterfly (26.00s). New records at 100 m backstroke (1:06:65) and 200 m backstroke (2:28:70) were set by I.M. Abeyrathna of the University of Peradeniya. W.A.M. Fernando of the University of Ruhuna set a new record in the 50m event of the same style. Two new records were set in the relay event as the University of Moratuwa clocked in at 4:06:99 at the 4x100m freestyle relay and the University of Ruhuna timed 4:35:36 at the 4x100m medley relay. Moving on to the women’s category, K.A.H.D. Perera from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura became the highlight of the day. She set stunning five new individual records, setting the bar higher with her feats. Her records include a 50 m backstroke (34.37s), a 100 m backstroke (1:16:99), a 50 m butterfly (31.59s), a 100 m butterfly (1:11:70), and a 200 m individual medley (2:49:30). L.C.N. Fernando from the University of Colombo also set two new records in 50 m breaststroke (38.68s) and 100 m breaststroke (1:28:27), adding her name to the history books. In the women’s relay events, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura set two new records in the 4x100m freestyle relay (4:45:31) and 4x100m medley relay (5:18:09).
With the Inter-University Games 2024 happening now, a new set of records is being set and is about to be achieved in the coming months. Record books will be rewritten, and new legacies will be forged. As always, the driving force behind every sport, the fans, ought to gather around the competitors and be their spirit. At MoraSpirit, we are ready to empower university sports once again during the Inter-University Games 2024.
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