Gauravee Rajapaksha posed for a photograph with her Principal Anil Pushpakumara of Dhammissara National School Nattandiya just after the Prize Giving. Gauravee is standing extreme right and on extreme left is Kavee Anya Rajapaksha and the Principal M A Pushpakumara is in the centre. (Picture by Dilwin Mendis – Moratuwa Sports Special Correspondent)
Eleven year old Karate Gold Medalist, Chess Champion, Athlete and Best All Round Student 2019 Warusapperuma Rajapaksha Mudiynselage Gauravee Senya Rajapaksha brought honour and glory to her Alma Mater Dhammissara National School Nattandiya.
Gauravee’s parents Thilina Rajapaksha and Ima Upuli Balasuriya both of whom are Engineers are distinguished past pupils of Dhammissara National School Nattandiya and did not hesitate to admit their daughter to their Alma Mater and Gauravee was admitted to this prestigious educational institute of North Western Province in 2015 to Grade One when R. M. Gunasekera was at the helm of the school and her teachers were Mrs. Samantha Uralagamage and Mrs. Uthpala Madjawee.
Her father Mr. Rajapaksha being a keen sportsman during his hey day encouraged his daughter to take up to sports and as an under seven girl in 2017 she was the Girls Champion by winning 30, 50 metres and High Jump. In 2018 Inter House Sports Meet too she won the High Jump and Long Jump Events and 60 metres and became the Champion and in 2019 in the under eleven age group she swept the board by winning 60 and 100 metres and High Jump and became the Champion Athlete for the third consecutive year and perhaps it may be a record for Dhammissara Primary School. In addition in the Grade Five Scholarship Examination she got through with flying colours but her parents did not want to send their daughter elsewhere and in 2020 she was drafted to the Grade Six Class but unfortunately due to Coronavirus all her hopes were shattered in the 2020 Inter House Sports Meet.
When Gauravee was in the Primary School she commenced Chess under Kasun Harsha, Miss Niluka and Mrs. Anushika and in the Inter House Competition she was the Under Eight Champion. In the Same year competing in the Sri Lanka Schools North Western Province Girls Tournament she was placed third in the under nine age group. In 2018 in the All Island Schools under eleven team event her school was victorious. In the same year in the Inter Schools Individual Provincial Tournament under eleven age group she got a Merit and in the same year in the All Island Chess Festival Tournament Individual Event she got a Distinction Pass and in 2019 All Island Chess Championship Individual under thirteen for participation she was awarded a Prize. In the year in the Puttalam District Inter Schools Championship under eleven she won a Bronze Medal and finally in 2019 in the All Island Youth Asian Games held in Sri Lanka for individual participation. she won a Prize. She is coached by Mr. Chinthaka.
In the mean time following her father’s foot steps and with his blessings she took up to Karate under Peter Perera and Mr. Danushka at the tender age of six and in 2018 in the 6th Puttalam District Karate Championship she won a Gold Medal in Kumite at her first attempt and a Silver Medal in Kata and in the same year at the 27th North Western Province Karate Championship in the under nine age group she won Bronze Medals for Kumite and Kata.
With all these performances under her belt Gauravee won the Gold Medal awarded to the Best All round Student at the 2019 School Prize Giving.
