SEC/CSE Varsity Battles 2023 ends on high note

Varsity Battles 2023 inter-university quiz competition winning team – University of Kelaniya 

• Faculty of Commerce and Management from University of Kelaniya (Kelaniya Mavericks) won overall competition 
• Winning team was awarded a cash prize of Rs.300,000
• 39 teams from 13 state universities participated
• Faculty of Engineering from University of Moratuwa (Mora Sharks) and Faculty of Medicine from University of Peradeniya (Pera Prodigies) secured second and third places, respectively 

Varsity Battles 2023, the inaugural inter-university capital market quiz competition, organised by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) and Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), was held last week at Grand Kandyan Hotel, Kandy, with the participation of 39 teams, from 13 state universities. 
The team from the Faculty of Commerce and Management from the University of Kelaniya (Kelaniya Mavericks) emerged as the winner of the overall competition, with a cash prize of Rs.300,000.

SEC Chairman Faizal Salieh, CSE Chairman Dilshan Wirasekara, SEC Director General Chinthaka Mendis, CSE Chief Regulatory Officer Renuke Wijayawardhane, SEC Deputy Director General Tushara Jayaratne and CSE Senior Vice President Marketing Niroshan Wijesundere along with other officials from the SEC and CSE were present at Varsity Battles 2023.
The Faculty of Engineering from the University of Moratuwa (Mora Sharks) was placed the First Runner-Up and received a cash prize of Rs.200,000 while the Faculty of Medicine from the University of Peradeniya (Pera Prodigies) was placed the Second Runner-Up with a Rs.100,000 cash award.

The objective of Varsity Battles 2023 is to create awareness and educate university students on capital markets and to enhance financial literacy among university students. The first stage of the quiz (inter-faculty quiz) was launched in May 2023. The inter-faculty quiz competition was conducted at 13 state universities and the top three teams with the highest scores in this stage were promoted to the final stage.
The participants in the quiz competition were tested on their knowledge in global markets, general knowledge, Sri Lankan economy and businesses, current affairs, sports, entertainment and other areas in relation to the management of financial securities.  

Commenting on the initiative, Wirasekara said, “The quiz competition is another initiative taken by the CSE in collaboration with the SEC to create awareness on the importance of financial, investor and capital market education. Thus, this initiative highlights the importance of financial literacy for every undergraduate in Sri Lanka.”
“The SEC and CSE initiated Varsity Battles with the intention of convincing the public that financial education could be quite an exciting and fun-filled engagement. This interest in the universities to participate and view this quiz as a fun and engaging learning experience has been vital to the success of this event.”

Speaking at the competition, Salieh stated, “Understanding the basic financial skills and concepts is not merely an individual responsibility but a cornerstone for a successful financial future. In 2009, the SEC conducted the inaugural Inter-University Quiz Competition, which set the stage for Varsity Battles 2023, the first-ever university quiz organised by the SEC in collaboration with the CSE. A financially literate generation, nurtured through initiatives like this, will undoubtedly contribute to a more prosperous and resilient society.”

Salieh added, “This programme aims to create opportunities for undergraduate students to enhance their understanding of the capital market, potentially motivating them to explore stock market investment and pursue careers in the capital market sector.”
The quiz was followed by a fellowship for all the participants. 
The inaugural edition of Varsity Battles 2023 was supported by First Capital Holdings PLC and Bartleet Religare Securities (Pvt.) Ltd as Platinum sponsors.
The Gold sponsors for the event were AICPA & CIMA Sri Lanka, Capital Trust Holdings Ltd, London Stock Exchange Group Sri Lanka, CT CLSA Securities (Pvt.) Ltd and Senfin Securities Limited.

Lanka Securities (Pvt.) Ltd, LOLC Holdings PLC, Asha Securities Ltd, Softlogic Stockbrokers (Pvt.) Ltd, Almas Equities (Pvt.) Ltd and Senfin Asset Management (Pvt.) Ltd have come onboard as the Silver sponsors.
The co-sponsors of the event were Vidullanka PLC, Acap Stock Brokers (Pvt.) Ltd, Millennium IT ESP (Pvt.) Ltd, CryptoGen (Pvt.) Ltd, Data Management Systems (Pvt.) Ltd, Sunshine Holdings PLC, Barista Coffee Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd, Cargills (Ceylon) PLC, Lanka IOC PLC, N-able (Pvt.) Ltd, E Futures (Pvt.) Ltd, Hemas Holdings PLC and Tokyo Cement Company (Lanka) PLC. Further, SriLankan Airlines joined Varsity Battles 2023 as the Official Airlines Partner.