The 2019 Sri Lanka Canoe Sprint National Championships took place at the Diyawanna Rowing Centre, located on the outskirts of the capital city of Colombo, earlier this month. There were more than 50 athletes competing, including ten women.

 

In addition to significantly increased participation, this year’s Sri Lanka national championships also featured many firsts for Sri Lanka. It was the first Sri Lankan canoe sprint event which had trained and certified national technical officials, an ICF-standard boat control station, an ICF-standard ID control station with all athletes having been issued event accreditation cards, and most importantly, this was the first canoe sprint event in Sri Lanka to feature C2 and C4 racing for men and C1 and C2 racing for women.

Canoe sprint has come a long way in Sri Lanka since the first canoe/kayak competitions were held nine years ago in Nawala, Colombo. That event featured only K1 and K2 racing with recreational plastic K1’s and recreational fibreglass sitting on top K2’s. Today, the National Association for Canoeing and Kayaking, Sri Lanka (NACKSL) has expanded its programs and activities to C1, C2 and C4, along with K1, K2 and K4 events, together with ocean kayaking and dragon boating.

 

Sri Lanka is very proud of the great progress made in the 14 years since its inception in 2004. The Sri Lanka Canoe Federation is very grateful for all the help it has received from the International Canoe Federation, the Asian Canoe Confederation, the Indian Kayak and Canoe Federation, the Iran Canoe Rowing and Sailing Federation, and the Japan Canoe Federation, all of which have  been invaluable in developing canoe sprint in Sri Lanka to the level it is at today. 

 

Special thanks also to Mr. Csaba Szanto of the ICF, who has always supported the development of the sport in Sri Lanka and Asia in general. The Sri Lanka Canoe Federation also firmly pledges to work towards improving and developing the sport in Sri Lanka in the times to come.