The Girls U-14 winning team Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya pictured with officials from the Sri Lanka Schools’ Football Association - Anura Bandara Leelarathna, President, Sarath Ratnaweera, Treasurer and P. Chanaraj, Assistant Director Sport and Upali Amaratunga, Director of Sport, Ministry of Education. Also in attendance, the CBL Food cluster team - Thilanka de Zoysa, Cluster CEO, Sisira Gunawardena, Senior Promotion and Activation Manager, Sachi Fernando, General Manager, Marketing, P. Govinna, Marketing Manager and Sumith Nishanka, Executive, Promotion & winning school team.
The Boys U-14 winning team Kinniya Central College pictured with officials from the Sri Lanka Schools’ Football Association - Anura Bandara Leelarathna, President, Sarath Ratnaweera, Treasurer and P. Chanaraj, Assistant Director Sport and Upali Amaratunga, Director of Sport, Ministry of Education. Also in attendance, the CBL Food cluster team - Thilanka de Zoysa, Cluster CEO, Sisira Gunawardena, Senior Promotion and Activation Manager, Sachi Fernando, General Manager, Marketing, P. Govinna, Marketing Manager and Sumith Nishanka, Executive, Promotion & winning school team.
Sponsored for the 12th consecutive year, the CBL Samaposha Inter-School Under-14 Football Tournament, held at the Racecourse Grounds in Colombo, concluded on a successful note recently.
Organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Football Association (SLSFA), the tournament’s grand finale matches were held on 30 July. Zahira College, Maradana and Kinniya Central College of Kinniya competed for the boys’ championship. Notably, in the highly competitive final match, Kinniya Central emerged victorious. This marks the second occasion that Kinniya Central has secured the championship.
In the girls’ category, Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya, Kurunegala played Vilayaya National School, Aralaganwila, with Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya, claiming the championship title. This marks the sixth occasion that Maliyadeva Balika has secured victory in the championship. Remarkably, it is the first time Vilayaya National School has reached the finals.
The final Boys placings were 1st - Kinniya Central College, Kinniya, 2nd - Zahira College, Maradana, 3rd - Jabbar National School, Galagedara and 4th - Maliyadeva Adarsha Maha Vidyalaya, Kurunegala.
In the final Girls competition, 1st place was Maliyadeva Balika Vidyalaya, Kurunegala, 2nd - Vilayaya National School Aralaganvila, 3rd - Mahajana College, Jaffna and 4th - Galigamuwa Central College, Kegalle.
A total of 650 teams participated in the competition with the preliminary matches held across 30 days at 32 centres in all districts of the country. 32 winners from the boys’ category and 24 winners from the girls’ category competed in the second and semi-final rounds from 22 to 24 July in Dambulla.
Cluster CEO- CBL Food Cluster, Thilanka De Zoysa, reiterated Samaposha’s commitment to supporting the next generation of sporting talents. He said, “Sport is a great tool for all round development, teaching kids discipline and teamwork while enhancing their physical strength and endurance. We hope our decade-long partnership with the SLSFA helps continue to build a healthier, happier and more mindful generation.’’
Sachi Fernando, General Manager, Marketing, CBL Food Cluster said, “Samaposha is dedicated in highlighting the importance of balanced nutrition for fostering a healthy and well-nourished generation. Our project, Samaposha ‘Dinana Daruwo’, not only prioritizes nutrition but also campaigns for the holistic development of children. In our efforts, we are pleased to join forces with the SLSFA to elevate school football to new heights.”
Samaposha ‘Dinana Daruwo’ programme is committed to supporting sport, education, nutrition, creativity and virtuous values among the nation’s future generation in the realm of sports, partnered the Schools Football Association of Sri Lanka. The tournament was held under CBL Samaposha’s campaign ‘Dinana Daruwo’, which aims to promote the physical and mental wellness of future generations.
