Royal Turf Club looks to soar higher under new leadership

Lawyer Panduka Keerthinanda will take reigns of the Royal Turf Club (RTC) as its sixth President while former Committee Member Ryota Hakariya has been elected as Secretary. 

Keerthinanda, who enjoyed a successful tenure at the top position previously, will be succeeding Nihara Jayatilake who was the first female to head an equestrian sports club in the Asian region. Following her resignation in April, the RTC continued the show with a vacant top-seat, but with Keerthinanda’s appointment, the RTC will look to get back to business after a rather long break due to the Covid-19 pandemic and unfavourable weather conditions. 

RTC’s horse racing calendar will kick off on January 16 next year, with races followed in February and March. The seasonal month of April will feature three racedays, including the prestigious RTC Governor’s Cup and the RTC Magic Million Cup. Excluding May, each month thereafter is set to feature a single raceday, with August and December doubled to two each. 

Nisitha Rupasinghe will continue his duties as Treasurer alongside Committee Members Ranjan Paranavithana and Refhan Razeen. Cyrus J. Madan will resume his role as the Chairman of Stipendiary Stewards while Sinclair Marshall is the Senior Stipendiary Steward.

(Shannon Nicholas)