This year 55 athletes from Sri Lankan Universities will be fly to Shenzhen, China for the 26th edition of the World University Games, also known as the Summer Universiade, which is to be held from the 12th to the 23rd of August. The biggest sporting event for Undergrads around the world with more than 10,000 athletes from over 143 countries expected. The games is smaller only to the Olympics. The number of the Sri Lankan athletes too is a stark improvement from the 13 who took part in the previous edition which was held in Belgrade, Serbia in 2009.
This year the Sri Lankan team will be taking part in eight of the twenty two sports events on offer. Sri Lankans will take part in Athletics, Badminton, Chess, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Taekwondo, and Weight Lifting.
The Sri Lankan team is made up of University Undergrads from all Local Universities, and were selected after a thorough selection process by the Sri Lanka university sports association after they had to match the desired standards. The team also includes some athletes who have represented Sri Lanka at the National Level.
Twelve officials will be joining the tour party and Mrs Priyantha Weerasinghe from the University of Moratuwa will be the chief de Mission. Prathaj Haputhanthri from Moratuwa and Thualsi Weerasekara from Peradeniya have been appointed the team captains.
It should be noted that five athletes namely Prathaj Haputhanthri (Tennis), Thualsi Weerasekara (Athletics), Kishanthan Thangaraja (Tennis), Nilmin Arsakularathne (Swimming) and Dilshan Sooriyarachi (Table Tennis) were apart of the Sri Lankan team in 2009 as well.
The team will leave Sri Lanka on August 8 for China. The air fare and the lodging for the team will be sponsored by the Higher education ministry as per the Hon minister Mr. S. B. Dissanayaka
Sri Lankan team
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