Saints’ Quadrangular Athletic Meet this weekend
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Dr. Susil Kumara Silva, the Executive Director of BCAS Campus, handing over the sponsorship to Dr. Angelo Karunarthne, the Chairman of the organising committee and committee member Ladislaus Gnanapragasam
Four of the leading Catholic schools in Sri Lanka, St. Anthony’s College Katugastota, St. Benedict’s College, St. Joseph’s College and St. Peter’s College meet again at the annual Saints’ Quadrangular Athletic Championship, which began at the St. Peter’s College grounds in Bambalapitiya yesterday.
This annual competition is eagerly looked forward to by the present and past athletes of the four schools, as it is not just a sporting event but also an occasion for the four leading Catholic schools in Sri Lanka to come together in a spirit of healthy rivalry and camaraderie.
This event was inaugurated in 1985 as a part of the quadrangular concept existing since 1963, at the initiative of past athletes of St. Peter’s headed by former Sri Lanka throwing champion Ranjit Weerasena, with the support of the old boys of other three schools. As expected, the Peterites emerged champions in the first meet.
However, after 1991 meets were not held, and the Athletics Quadrangular was revived in 2015 again as an initiative of the Athletics Foundation of St. Peters College, and gained momentum after each year with both the present and past athletes of the four schools keenly battling it out for supremacy.
This year at the highly competitive Colombo Zonal Athletic Championship held in August, the Benedictines emerged victorious with Peterites coming in second and the Josephians in fourth place. At the Kandy Zonal Athletic Championship, the Antonians were placed third. Therefore all four schools are having formidable outfits and a keen contest is expected over the two days of competition at Bambalapitiya.
Overall, the Peterites have won the championship five times, the Benedictines twice and the Antonians once. The Joes are yet to win the title. In the Old Boys events, the Peterites have dominated throughout followed by the Benedictines. All four schools have produced outstanding athletes who have represented Sri Lanka with distinction at international events including the Olympics.
This year is of special significance as three athletes from Quadrangular schools, long jumper Hirusha Hashen of St. Peter’s, triple jumper Pasindu Malshan of St. Joseph’s and javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga of St. Peter’s, represented Sri Lanka at the World Junior Athletic Championship 2022 in Colombia.
The opening ceremony with the hoisting of the national flag, the papal flag and the flags of the four schools together with the singing of national anthem and school anthems was held at 9.00am yesterday. The closing ceremony and the presentation of awards by the chief guest Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne, will be at 4.30pm today.