Ritzbury Sir John Tarbat Athletic Championship 2024 showcases over 20,000 sporting talents

From left: Ritzbury CBL Foods Category Manager Anura Liyanapathirana, Ritzbury CBL Foods International Marketing General Manager Nilupul De Silva, Ritzbury COO Kamal Geeganage, Education Ministry  Physical Education Director Athula Wijewardana, Athletic Association Sri Lanka School President D.A.S.S. Wijesinghe and Secretary Thiron Indika – Pic by Sameera Wijesinhe

Ritzbury will serve as the exclusive sponsor of the prestigious Sir John Tarbat Athletic Championship 2024 for the 12th consecutive year, bringing together over 20,000 participants from nearly 1,000 schools, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to identifying and supporting young, aspiring athletes. 

It is the oldest school athletics event in Sri Lanka’s sporting history and the Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association (SLSAA) will organise and coordinate it under the supervision of the Education Ministry.

The categories for the 53rd Ritzbury Sir John Tarbat Junior Athletic Championship will comprise Under 11, Under 12, Under 13, Under 14, and Under 15. Two new meets in Jaffna and Batticaloa have been added to the 2024 Championship calendar to increase the opportunities for young aspiring athletes at a regional level. 

The first stage of the Junior Championship will take place across all regions and kick off for the Northern province and Anuradhapura district at Jaffna’s Duraiappa Stadium on 13 and 14 June. The events for the Central, Northwestern provinces and the Gampaha district will be held at the Wennappuwa Public Ground from 12 to 14 July. For the Kalutara and Colombo districts, events will be held at the Bandaragama Public Ground from 26 to 28 July. 

Similarly, events for the Eastern province and Polonnaruwa district will take place at the Batticaloa Weber Ground on 3 and 4 August. Additionally, for the Southern, Uva and Sabaragamuwa provinces, the events are scheduled to be held at the Embilipitiya Mahaweli Ground from 10 to 12 August.

Ritzbury takes immense pride in championing an event that unites athletes from every corner of the island. Those who excel will have the exciting opportunity to compete in the final championship in Colombo.

The Ritzbury Relay Carnival is set to take place from 2 to 4 July, at Badulla’s Vincent Dias Stadium. Building on the remarkable success of last year’s Relay Carnival, which attracted over 6,000 participants, Ritzbury is planning to extend their support on an even grander scale.

The 92nd edition of the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletic Championship will be scheduled from 10 to 13 September at the Sugathadasa Stadium. It will feature age groups ranging from Under 16, 18, and 20. 

The overall winners of the Junior and Senior Championships will receive awards and the 15 best performing athletes will be provided scholarships for further development in sports from Ritzbury. 

CBL Foods International Ltd., Marketing General Manager Nilupul De Silva said: “Ritzbury is proud and eager to renew our partnership with the Sir John Tarbat Athletic Championship. We are always committed to developing young talent and Ritzbury is proud and eager to renew our partnership with the SLSAA. We take great pleasure in being a key contributor to the enormous success of overall athletic achievements.”

SLSAA President D.A.S.S. Wijesinha said: “The Championship’s continued relevance and success is a testament to the role Ritzbury plays in shaping young athletes and in building a culture of health and wellbeing for the country.”

In addition to the Ritzbury Sir John Tarbat Athletic Championship, Ritzbury is known as an active supporter of a wide range of sporting events in Sri Lanka including hockey, swimming, squash, and rugby. These efforts made by the much-loved confectionary brand showcase its commitment to developing the skills of the nation’s youth through sports.