Kanrich Finance Sports Club marks year of sporting excellence

Kanrich Finance, one of the leading financial solutions providers in Sri Lanka, counts a rich heritage spanning over 45 years in the financial sector. The company is led by a highly experienced Board of Directors and driven by a young and dynamic management team, which is helping it to accelerate towards achieving its goals. 

In order to nurture and motivate this team to remain at the cutting edge of innovation, the company places great emphasis on an optimal work-life balance. The Kanrich Sports Club was set up to ensure that employee talents are nurtured and rewarded. It is headed by Deputy General Manager Pradeep Basnayake (former Kandy Sports Club and Sri Lanka Rugby Captain) as the Sports Club President. During the past year alone, Kanrich employees have surpassed records and set new benchmarks in mercantile sports. 

Kanrich Finance has a very rich culture of sports and sporting activities and encourages its employees to participate in various sports with a view to building team spirit. During the year, various teams from the company won multiple accolades in their sporting endeavours. 

The Kanrich Finance cricket team was a tour de force this year. The Kanrich Finance ‘A’ team are the current ‘B’ Division Mercantile Cricket League Champions and will be a part of the ‘A’ Division for both 2017 and 2018.

The sporting talent in the company exerted its influence yet again, this time in the cricketing field, playing in the ‘D’ Division. The Kanrich Finance ‘B’ team displayed their impressive cricketing talent by becoming runners-up in 2017. 

‘A’ team cricket Captain Mahela Wijeyalath, Senior Manager – Business Loans, was an ‘A’ team player at the national level. The team were also ‘B’ Division unbeaten champs in 2016 but in a milestone move they were elevated to the ‘A’ Division. Other key players are Alankara Asanka, Prabath Jaysuriya and Akila Dananjaya, who are all national cricketers. It was a decisive victory for the finance company’s cricket team.      

In some of the most notable sporting achievements, the Kanrich Finance netball team was crowned the Mercantile ‘C’ Division Champions. The team also emerged champions at the Finance Houses Association of Sri Lanka (FHA) championship, with Ureshika  Maduvanthi being named Best Shooter and Gayeshani Rathnasiri being crowned Netball Queen. The team played commendably to lift the championship trophy despite tough competition. 

The winning team was captained by Gayashani Rathnasiri and consisted of Kaveesha Ekanayaka, Dasuni Nishani, Aloka Buddhinee, Achini Nilumani Fernando, Amasha Prasadini De Silva, and Sithmi Nimashi Pathirathna. The team was mentored ably by Coach Hyacinth Wijesinghe. 

In the basketball arena, the Kanrich Finance team is the unbeaten champion of the ‘C’ Division (2016) and ‘D’ Division (2015). In a nail-biting final, the team won the Mercantile League Tournament against the formidable NDB team. 

In the face of strong crowd support for the opposing team, Chairth Perera scored big for the Kanrich Finance team, contributing to a final score of 44-33. The undefeated team comprised Mihiraj Rajapakshe (Captain), Kanishka Wijesinghe (Vice Captain), Thanushka De Alwis, Shanaka Perera, Charith Perera, Shehan Dias, Meran Perera, Brinsley Perera, Sameera Nishanya, Sanju Jayarathne, Sampath Meegaswatte and Sajith Gunawardhane. The team owes its winning streak to excellent teamwork and supportive colleagues.

Moreover, Kanrich Finance created sporting history by becoming the first finance company to emerge champions in the history of Mercantile Volleyball, effectively bring to a close the dominance of the apparel industry over the sport. 

KFL beat Brandix 23-25, 29-27, 25-15 and 25-17 in the four fiercely fought sets of the match to triumphantly lift the Volleyball Super League 2016 trophy aloft, marking a new chapter in the history of the sport. 

The award for the Best Player of the Match and the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament went to KFL’s Ishan Wimarshana, while Randima Weerarathne from KFL bagged the Best Setter award for the exciting championship. The triumphant KFL team comprised Ishan Vimarshana (Captain), Isuru Senevirathna, Pasindu Weerarathne, Samidu Priyankara, Pawan Jayarathne, Dilusha Rajakaruna, Chanaka Suranga, Sameera Nisahanga, Dhanushka Fernando, Prabath Fernando and Yasith Amand.

The Kanrich Finance rugby team too proved its mettle by emerging Shield Champions in 2015 and Bowl semifinalists in 2016. The Sports Club plans to strengthen the rugby team further with the infusion of new players who will be recruited for their prowess to add power to the team as they prepare to battle it out for the coveted cup.

Business Development Senior Assistant Manager Bandula Mallikarachchi, who also functions as General Secretary of the Kanrich Sports Club, said: “The entire company is extremely proud of the spectacular performance by all our teams in the sporting arena. Their victory is a source of pride for each one of us and teaches us the valuable lesson of teamwork and to strive higher. Kanrich employees are encouraged to participate in sports and to foster their competitive streak, which is coming to the fore even in achieving targets and giving the company the title of the fastest growing finance company in the country. Our CEO, Mr. Shiran Weerasinghe, and General Managers Eranda Amal Godage, Aloka Wahalawatta and Mr. Sadeepa Rathnayaka are all wholly committed to sports and its values, which is why the Kanrich Sports Club has grown by leaps and bounds in the past two years.”

Top coaches

Apart from receiving encouragement, support and funding from the company, the teams have been ably guided and mentored by some of the best coaches in the country, namely Ajith Kuruppu – Basketball, Hyacinth Wijeyasinghe – Netball, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara – Cricket (former national player and Colts player), Dandika  Weerasekara – Cricket (Assistant), Channa Jayasekara – Volleyball and Bandula Mallikarachchi – Rugby.

The company also shone in the field of athletics as well by becoming winners in various disciplines at the MAA Championships, winning 13 medals. Key athlete Kanishka Wijesinghe, a novice record-holder in the high jump, is also a key player in the basketball team.

Kanrich Finance is also an ardent supporter of motor racing, sponsoring few racing championships at the country’s Gunners Super cross, Rotherham Katukurunda and Commando Challenge. To compensate this, Kasun Kodipilli, who has left a stellar track-record in the thrilling sport, brought fame to the company by winning the Colombo Challenge Rally 2016. The Kanrich Sports Club has ambitious plans to launch a softball cricket team in 2017. 

These sporting glories would not be possible without unlimited founts of discipline, commitment to the company and passion to win, which is displayed by all sportspersons in the company. The company adopts an inclusive approach to nurturing sporting talent by having open tryouts for the entire staff at all branches. 

Further, each employee is given free gym membership to ensure their wellbeing. The company organises an all staff sports day in four different geographical zones, with key players in those zones trying out for the ‘Healthy Body – Healthy Mind’.

All key players are permanent employees at Kanrich Finance. The company also supports them when they venture out to play for clubs. Kanrich Finance nurtures a strong sporting culture of excellence which is mirrored in its strong financial and operational performance as well during the year.

Kanrich Finance offers a unique portfolio of products including Fixed Deposits, Savings, Leasing, Personal Loans, Business Loans, Mortgage Loans, Educational Loans, a Welanda Warama Gold Loan and Pawning, Microfinance and real estate and products. 

The company was incorporated in 1971 and is licensed under the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The company prides itself on rolling out well-planned strategic plans to achieve market leadership and is deeply committed to contributing to society through long-term CSR, sustainability and development initiatives. 

Kanrich Finance has a turnover of Rs.  4.36 billion, a cadre of over 1,500 employees and a customer base of more than 200,000. The company’s head office is located at No. 69, Ward Place, Colombo 7 and it operates an additional 36 branches across Sri Lanka.