Sports

The track and field events at Sujatha encompass a variety of competitive athletic disciplines based on running, jumping, and throwing. Our athletes take part in competitions held throughout the year for different disciplines and traditionally, our strength has been in running events. In 2002, at the Zonal Inter-School Sports Meet, Sujathian Savini Amarasighe set two new Zonal records in the 100m and 200m events. Through competitive athletics, we aim to develop in our students a greater appreciation for the sport as well as teamwork and strength of character. We believe it is more important to focus on the process than the product. The process in this case is grueling hours of training, soreness we deal with after and mental endurance we need to keep pushing ourselves beyond what we think we capable of. The product – the results, medals, and accolades – will follow later. It is not always easy and there will be some very trying times. However, overcoming these challenges is its own reward and we know our players will emerge stronger, faster, and more united.  

Ever since swimming was introduced to the students of Sujatha in 1988, the teachers, parents, and spectators have witnessed an amazing level of improvement across the board. Among them, plenty of swimmers learning to swim for the first time but remarkably improving to a level never thought possible within a few years. The improvement began with the introduction of swimming to the curriculum, enabling every student to take part in swimming lessons every week during one period in the school timetable. The quality of talents has improved the medal allocation at all-island and international level competitions, Hashini De Silva who placed in the 42nd Sri Lanka Schools Aquatic Sports Swimming Championship 2015. Sandali Sumathipala was another star under nine age group, who swam 200m. Amodya Perera became the first Sujathian to represent the Asian Swimming Championships. She bought glory to Sujatha by winning the bronze medal at the first south Asian swimming and water polo championships, held in Lahore, Pakistan in 2007.

Netball, a sport whose history at Sujatha dates to 1970, today is an established and increasingly popular sport among our students. Netball is recognized as a fast-paced game that not only requires good teamwork and stamina but also quick and flexible thinking, in order to strategize effectively. The players practice regularly in their newly constructed playground in the school premises. These practice sessions not only build up the fitness and skills of the students but also give them importance of never giving up. Although the long hours of training under the hot sun can prove to be exhausting, the results attained on the court are jubilantly gratifying. Since 2010, our netball team has been consistently participating in the Colombo District Netball tournaments, becoming the first runner-up in 2010, and going on to become the champion in 2012, and 2014, in under 12, 15 and 17. We have received numerous other commended accolades such as the championship at the circuit meet in 2012 as well as the Best Player and Best Defensive Player awards at the Colombo District Netball Tournament in 2011. Our annual Netball Big Match is played between SV and Visakha Vidyalaya, with our under 19 team emerging champions last year (2023).  

Young children with awakening potential are naturally inclined to physically played games as well as activities, which exercise their cognitive process. The students at Sujatha Vidyalaya have very actively got trained and participated in the games of chess with much zest, bringing credit to the school. Every year they take part in tournaments organized by the Sri Lanka Schools Chess Association and among them the Colombo District Tournaments, Sri Lanka Schools’ Individual Chess Championship and National Chess Championship are highlighted.

Badminton is a fast-paced sport, which requires not only agility and power but also high mental endurance. That is why the badminton players at Sujatha have always been persistent in terms of perfecting their skills, improving agility as well as pushing their own boundaries during practice sessions and competitive games. Since 1997, the Sujatha badminton team has been actively participating in the many competitions such as the All-Island Championships and Junior National Championships and many other friendly matches against opponents from other schools. These competitions not only allow our players to put into practice what they have learnt but also give them an opportunity to learn from their opponents, allowing them to improve their skills as well as their strategies. Our badminton players have bagged the championship cup at the all-island tournaments in Under 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 16 categories in 2013 and 2014. At the most recent S. L. R. Ratnayake Memorial All-Island Under 16 Badminton Championship, our team clinched the Division E championship while earning major honours as a unit. In 2014, the badminton players of Sujatha were able to win the Junior National Badminton Championship (Zonal Level), bagging the first and second places.