Ritzbury powers 29th Annual Mercantile Athletic Meet

Ritzbury has once again come forward as the main sponsor of the 29th Annual Mercantile Athletic Meet, to be held on 17 and 18 November at the Sugathadasa Stadium. Ritzbury, being the market leader in the chocolate industry, has come on board for the third consecutive year as the main sponsor.

The Mercantile Athletic Meet is open to employees of the private sector and caters to both men and women in all age groups covering the novices, masters and championship categories. This is the only event that gives athletes in the private sector an opportunity to participate in an international athletic meet.                                                              

The two-day event will consist of 312 events and attract around 1,500 participants. “We expect 45 companies to participate this year, with the aim of giving employees in the private sector a chance to pursue their talents in athletics and compete in the international arena. This also serves as an opportunity for school leavers with athletic capabilities to join reputed organisations and pursue their talent further in athletics.

We are grateful to Nandana Wickramage, Group Director and Head of Marketing and Sales of CBL, for supporting the Federation to host this event annually,” stated President of the Mercantile Athletic Federation Gihan Kandulawa. While thanking Ritzbury for their sponsorship, he also stated that CBL has sponsored this event since 2002.

This year, the Federation has taken the initiative to sponsor five rural athletes, who are not employed, but have shown great potential in athletics. The Federation will find them jobs and provide them with running gear and food supplements for a year. Depending on their performance, the sponsorship will be extended for another year.

This year’s event will feature prominent Sri Lankan athletes, such as Sugath Thilakaratne, Damayanthi Dharsha, World Masters 100 metre hurdles bronze medallist Gamini Weerasinghe and Sri Lanka’s  current high jump record holder and the event torch bearer Priyangika Maduwanthi.

“In order to provide athletes with an opportunity to use a track made to international standards, the Mercantile Athletic Federation has taken the initiative to have this year’s event as the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium,” commented Tornado Jayasundara, Secretary of the Mercantile Athletic Federation. He further noted that the team that obtains the highest points at the event will receive the ‘Ritzbury Challenge Trophy’ at the prize giving to be held on 18 November at 4 p.m.

Ritzbury’s Assistant Marketing Manager, Nilupul De Silva speaking on the sponsorship said that they are proud to partner the Mercantile Athletic Federation for the third consecutive year. Speaking on the sponsorship, he stated that as a corporate, one of their CSR goals is to help people showcase their sporting talents, hence sponsoring such an event is one way of giving athletes an opportunity to develop their skills and perform to their full potential at the highest level.   

Ritzbury, the flagship confectionery brand of CBL, which won ‘Brand of the Year’ at the recently held SLIM awards, is a household name among all Sri Lankans. While introducing various types of chocolates to the consumer market, Ritzbury is actively involved in educating our children on Sri Lanka’s natural beauty, places of interest, arts and culture, history and traditional industries through the popular TV program ‘Ritzbury Journey day.’

CBL believes this event, which Ritzbury will be sponsoring for the third year, will serve as a stepping stone for many athletes in the private sector to reach for greater heights.