Young Husain sets fastest time
 

BY LESLIE Fernando

THE 11-year-old Fazila Husain representing Madras Boat Club rowed in style to win the Girls under-13 Single Scull on the penultimate day of the four-day-Joes Age Group Sculling Championships 2005 conducted by St. Joseph's College and held on the Beira Waters-Colombo Rowing Club yesterday.

Husain 6th standard student of Sishya School in Chennai rowing for the first time in Colombo returned the fastest timing of 3.01 secs to win the event with ease from the other rowers of Ladies College, Amaya Jayasooriya 3.48 secs and Chrutti Peiris 4.21 secs.

Shiroma Malkanthi and Chandani Indumathi of Sri Lanka Navy 'A' was declared winners in the ladies Double Scull after their 'B' team oarswomen Dilshika Kumarage and Chandra Kumari Liyanage after a collision.

In the under-19 Ladies Double Scull V.G. Sumithra and Gowri Adappa of Madras Boat Club 4.41 secs, Shadeena Mendis and Amenthi Weerasinghe of Ladies College 'B' 4.55 secs, Anya Ratnayake and Shiyana Welikala of Ladies College 'A' 4.51 secs and Shayari de Silva and Gayani Boteju of Ladies College 'C' 5.03 secs qualified for the final.

The Josephian scullers Baasim Hassan (4.19 secs) and Imesh Alexander (4.25 secs) together with R. Suriyarachchi of Royal and M. Kulugammana entered the final in the under-19 Men's Single Scull after returning the best timings in the earlier rounds.

The finals in other events to be worked off are Under-15 Girls Single Scull, Boys under-17 Single Scull, Open Men's Scull, Under-17 Girls Single Scull, under-19 Men's Single Scull, Open Men's Double Scull, Under-19 Ladies Single Scull, under-19 Men's Double Scull, Open Men's Quadruple Scull, Under-19 Ladies Double Scull and Under-19 Men's Quadruple Scull.

The championships will commence at 2.30 p.m. and the awards ceremony will be around 6.00 p.m. Deva Henry, President Amateur Rowing Association of Sri Lanka will be the chief guest.