Buddhist Ladies’ students win karate black belts

Three students from Buddhist Ladies College reaped the rewards of five years of arduous training in the mentally and physically tough discipline of karate, winning their black belts during the recently concluded Karate Championship and Training Programme organised by the Sri Lanka branch of the Japan Karate Do Kenyu Ryu held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium.

Following outstanding performances competing against local and international contestants, Vindya Senanayake and Shamana Bansajaya of Grade 9Ea, and Arishka N. Perera of Grade 9Eb won international karate black belts earning admiration of and high praise from a distinguished panel of judges including Soke Ryuichiro Tomoyori, President and Grand Master of All Japan Kenyu Ryu Karate Do Federation (JKF 8TH Dan).

An Education Ministry approved coach and a member of Karate National Selection Board, Sensei K.L.D. Chaminda Sanjeewa, (Black Belt 4th Dan ) Chief Instructor and Sole Representative of Japan Karate Do Kenyu Ryu in Sri Lanka, acts as head coach of Buddhist Ladies College training students in Karate. The college has offered karate training as an extra-curricular activity to its student body for over five years, enabling the students to excel in the sport.

Speaking on the outstanding achievement of the three BLC students, Mohanlal de Mel, Joint Managing Partner of Buddhist Ladies College, said: “We are very happy about this exceptional achievement of our students at the international level. It also reiterates the commitment of our school not only to give academic knowledge to our students but also to discipline their minds and bodies alike to help them face the challenges of life with confidence.”

Buddhist Ladies College established in 1954, is a private educational institution offering the local syllabus approved by the Ministry of Education in both Sinhala and English languages. Buddhist Ladies College is also one of the three girls only Buddhist schools in Colombo and is situated at the heart of Colombo near the Town Hall.

Other than the outstanding achievements in the sport arena, the school has displayed a growing record of excellent results at both GCE O/L and A/L examinations. Recent years has seen a rapid expansion of the school’s facilities with the influx of many prominent educationists to its academic staff and restoration of other facilities including those for sports activities.