Ritzbury powers Sir John Tarbet Junior Athletics Meet
Monday, 29 July 2013 00:00
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Ritzbury, the market leader in the chocolate industry, has come on board as the main sponsor of the annual Sir John Tarbet Junior Athletics Meet.
The event, which is expected to attract more than 5,000 students, is organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Athletic Association (SLSAA) together with the Education Ministry. The meet will be held from 5 to 8 August at the Diyagama stadium in Homagama.
Commenting on the sponsorship Nilupul De Silva, Marketing Manager of CBL Foods International said: “Given the history of the annual John Tarbet athletics event and its reputation in identifying budding Sri Lankan athletes from schools’ across the country, we are glad to once again come on board as the main sponsor. Ritzbury remains committed to supporting young talent throughout the country and therefore we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with the Sri Lanka Schools Athletic Association.”
Speaking on the event details, Upali Amaratunga, President of SLSAA, said: “We are grateful to Nandana Wickramage, Group Director and Head of Marketing and Sales of CBL and the Ritzbury team for supporting and giving thousands of school children around the island the opportunity to exhibit their talents. The high fliers of this meet are further trained and selected for the Common Wealth games in 2017. While the meet this year will have 63 events, the age categories are under 12, 13, 14 and 15.”
He further stated that for the first time this year, unlike the athletes in the under 14 and 15 category, the athletes in the under 12 and 13 age groups will not be placed. However, a merit award will be given to all who qualify the timing given for each event under these two age groups.
The schools’ athletic meet that boasts of a long history, is an event many school children look forward to. The meet which attracts the highest number of juniors is the stepping stone for many to pursue their talents at an international level. In order to meet international standards, for the first time the officials have introduced an electronic timing system.
Speaking on the brand and its contribution, Chanaka Ranatunga, Assistant Brand Manager, stated: “As a corporate, one of our CSR goals is to help students showcase their sporting talents, therefore Ritzbury has been continuously supporting Sri Lanka’s sports discipline and is the regular sponsor of the Junior National Squash Championship, Inter International Schools Soccer Tournament and the Inter International School and Mercantile Athletic Meet. The Sir John Tarbet Junior Meet which is now in its 44th year, has seen some of Sri Lanka’s sporting personalities come up through this meet.”
Ritzbury will also sponsor the senior category of the John Tarbet event, in September at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
