Wekada Maha Vidyalaya Girls Athletic contingent posed for a photograph at the Sugathadasa Stadium Colombo just after the Inter School Relay Carnival in 2020. Standing L/R – Darshani Subashini, Navodya Senali, Nethmi Dulanjani, Hashini Dilrukshi, Hansika Dewmini, Shashini Sandeepani, Rashmi Umayangana (Picture by – Dilwin Mendis Moratuwa Sports Special Correspondent)
Sixteen year old Junior National and Relay Carnival representative, school athletic captain and volleyball player Kuruwita Archchige Nethmi Dulanjani has brought honour and glory to her Alma Mater Wekada Maha Vidyalaya.
Nethmi was born in the year 2005 and in 2011 she was admitted to Daraluwa Junior School Katugampola and her then Principal was Mr. Bandara and her first class teacher was Mrs. Kusum and when she was in Grade Three she participated at the school sports meet and won her events. In 2013 she won the 100, 200 metre events and in the following year she participated in the school sports meet and won her events and in 2014 due to Grade Five Scholarship Examination she kept away and in 2016 she was the school's athletic champion upto 2020.
In 2016 she participated in the Divisional Meet and in 100 metres she came first and in the Zonal meet she was third and in the District Level she came fourth and annually up to 2020 she won at the Divisional, Zonal and District meets.
In 2017 after her performances she was selected to participate in the Junior National Meet held at Anuradhapura and she came third in long jump and in the following year too participating at the Junior Nationals in the under 15 age group she achieved the qualifying timing in 100 metres and came fourth in the Long Jump Event.
In the same year her school participated at the Relay Carnival held at Sugathadasa Stadium Colombo and in the semi finals they came second in 4x400 metres events and she led the team. In 2019 she carried away the Best Athlete Award of her school.
Finally in 2020 after becoming the under 16 champion at the school by becoming second in 200 metres and third in Long Jump and after winning the heats of the 100 metre finals at the Divisional Meet it was cancelled on day two due to Covid 19.
As she is good in volleyball her parents Uditha Jayasekera and Himali Liyanka encouraged her to take up to volleyball too. She played in the Inter House Volleyball Tournament from Grade Six to Nine and she was the captain through out and her coach and Prefect of Games is Saman Bandara. In this context her Principal Wasantha is always supportive and her elder sister Umesha Gimhani and Iresh Sanjeewa are helping her financially.
