Mihin Lanka flies young racing sensation Jaden Gunawardena to Indonesia

Jaden Gundawardena with Mihin Lanka Head of Commercial Rohana Perera (left) and Mihin Lanka Head of Sales Asanka Fernando (right)

Mihin Lanka recently flew young racing sensation, Jaden Gunawardena to Indonesia for his latest international racing event. In an interview, Jaden shares his love for racing and highlights how Mihin Lanka has played a crucial role in helping him travel to some of the region’s biggest racing events. 

Jaden Gunawardena is just 13 years old and is now among the top 20 Asian riders in the region. He completed his first round of racing at Asian Road Racing Championship in Sepang Malaysia a few weeks ago, and travelled on Mihin Lanka for the next phase of the race which took place in Indonesia.  

Commenting on how his passion for racing started, Jaden stated, “At the age of two, I got my first motorcycle which was fitted with guide wheels, as a birthday gift. My father then built a small track for me in our garden, and I started racing on it for fun. I began to enjoy it very much and started competing in motocross events and thereafter in national events from a young age. I’ve won two national championships in the 150cc category and I also represented the country for the first time when I was nine years old.” 

Jaden believes that his father has played an integral role in his success and says, “My father is both my mentor and coach, he has helped me learn and develop my skills from a very young age. Thanks to his advice and constant guidance, I have been able to learn the art of racing and represent my country on the track from a very young age.” 

Although it has been difficult for Jaden to maintain a balance between school and practises, with the support of his family, he has learnt how to focus on both these important aspects of his life. Often the lack of time he spends practising has been a disadvantage when competing against professional riders, however Jaden has been adamant to give his school work the necessary attention, and his perseverance has helped him advance in the classroom and on the track. 

Commenting on how racing has impacted his life, Jaden stated, “Racing has helped me stay mentally strong and has helped me develop the discipline and dedication required to achieve my goals. After I started racing, I became a much more goal-orientated individual and I believe that this will be extremely beneficial later on in life.” 

After Jaden rose to success on the local circuits, the time came for him to compete at regional racing events. Following his progress in Malaysia, Mihin Lanka came forward to sponsor the young rider with complimentary flight tickets to his racing event in Indonesia.

Commenting on this, Jaden said, “I was so excited when Mihin Lanka spontaneously offered to fly me to my next big race. I was fortunate to enjoy the airline’s incredible VIP services. When my father and I travelled on Mihin Lanka, the ground staff and cabin crew were simply so warm and accommodating at all the stages of our journey, from when we booked our tickets, to when we arrived back in Colombo. We were also fortunate enough to experience Mihin Lanka’s new Business Class service on our return, and it was amazing. The food was delicious; the crew members were so friendly and they always had a smile on their faces. The flight was so memorable and I felt very much at home and truly comfortable on board Mihin Lanka.”

Since its launch in 2007, Mihin Lanka has come a long way, becoming one of the region’s most admired travel brands, offering direct flights to Dhaka, Seychelles, Jakarta, Bahrain, Lahore and Kolkata at a competitive price. Mihin Lanka also offers connectivity to a further 20 destinations with its code share partner SriLankan Airlines.