Randev wins Outstanding Sportsman of the Year at St. Peter’s Colours Night

Sports Minister Harin Fernando presenting the ‘Outstanding Sportsman of the Year’ award to Randev Athukorala at the St. Peter’s College’s Colours Night as former Rector Rev. Fr. Trevor Martin looks on

Randev N.A. Athukorala was presented with the Outstanding Sportsman of the Year award for his exemplary performance in the sport of karate by Sports Minister Harin Fernando, in the presence of the school’s former rector Rev. Fr. Trevor Martin, at the 2019 St. Peter’s College Colours Night. 

Black Belt karateka Athukorala was diagnosed with dengue just 41 days before the South Asian Karate Championship was to be staged in New Delhi, India. Despite this, young Athukorala, using the motivating words of Sri Lanka national coach Sensei Kalyana, fought the system, recovered from his illness and went back to training. He then captained the boys Sri Lanka cadet team to a gold medal in the Heavyweight category of the South Asian Karate Championship.

Starting karate at the age of five, Athukorala earned his black belt by the time he was 11, under the tutelage of his master Sensei D.M.D. Nimal and later the Sri Lanka Karate Do Association. By 2017, the World Karate Association Rankings listed him at 17 in the world in the Cadet 70 kg+ weight class. He finished a personal best 11th in the global rankings that year.

In the Asian region, Athukorala was ranked second behind Indonesian athlete Billy Bilmona Mohammad Besnuh while Chinese Karateka Yunlong Hu finished third behind the Sri Lankan. There are only three athletes from Asia who have broken into the world top 30 rankings.

Sri Lanka Schools Karate Do Association President Anura Shantha said: “We spotted his talent when he won the silver medal at the blue-ribbon school tournament in the Asian Regional Milo Karate Championship in Malaysia when he was just 11 years old, where he won the silver medal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He then went on to win a gold medal at the Nepal Karate Championship in Kathmandu, Nepal.” 

Karate Do Federation President H.M. Sisira Kumara commented: “Given that Sri Lanka hosted the 2017 South Asian Karate Championships, we must use the opportunity to create awareness of the fact that karate has the second highest number of athletes in a sport in Sri Lanka and therefore has more athletes coming into the global karate rankings,” he said.

St. Peter’s College Master-in-Charge of Karate, Francis Sarath, stated: “Randev was a double medal-winner at the World Karate Championships staged in Iran and a gold medal-winner at the coveted Karate Cup 2019 Championship in Malaysia, where he claimed the Sri Lanka Schools Karate Championship.” 

During his formative years, he was trained by Sensei D.M.D Nimal and Sensei Safraz, while he is now trained by national coach Sensei Kalyani. His manager is his father Dr. Rohantha Athukorala.

“Alongside sports, one must also develop one’s cognitive skills by getting through exams, if not there is no personal development. In terms of spiritual guidance, St. Peter’s College Rector Rev. Fr. Trevor Martin and Rev. Fr. Lakmin have really supported my son.”