Nineteen year old athlete and weightlifter K. B. Vajira Srimal brought honour and glory to his Alma Mater Vijitha Maha Vidyalaya in Niyagama, Hiniduma and to his motherland.
Vajira was admitted to this school when he was in Grade Five he commenced athletics and continued upto Grade Eight and initially at the Inter House Athletic Meet he did Long Jump and won places. In 2015 he started to do field events and at the Inter House Meets in the Under 15 category he won in Discuss, Putt Shot and Javelin and became the Champion Athlete of the school. In the Divisional Meet too he swept the board and became the under 15 Champion Athlete and continued to become the School Champion Athlete in the under 16, 18 and 19 and won places in the Divisional, Zonal, District and Provincial Meets. Though he did Athletics his forte is Weightlifting and in the mean time in addition to Athletics in 2015 he took to Weightlifting and his parents Lionel Ranjith and K. B. Ranjani encouraged him to pursue Weightlifting.
His first attempt in Weightlifting was in 2015 and at the All Island Inter Schools Meet in the under 85kgs Category he came fourth and in the Youth Provincial Meet too he was placed fourth and in the All Island under 15 over 77kgs he won a Gold Medal with three records and in 2016 at the youth National Meet under 85kgs category he came fourth.
In 2017 in the All Island 85kgs under 17 he won another Gold and in the same weight category at the youth National Meet he won a Gold and with these performances under his belt he was selected for Uzbekistan tour in the under 85kgs category and he came sixth where 10 members participated and after returning with foreign exposure in 2018 National Championship he came fourth.
Then in 2018 at the National Schools Meet he won a Gold in the 84kgs and in the Inter Schools Meet in the 89kgs event he won a Gold with a record and in the same year in the All Island Festival Meet in the under 89kgs category he came fourth and All Island Youth Meet under 89kgs he won a Gold and in 2020 he participated in the Junior Asian Championship in Uzbekistan in the 89 kgs event where 12 members participated and he came eighth and at present he is in the National Squad.
His first Principal was Anura Opatha while the first class teacher was Ranjani Kanthilatha and the present Principal is. Sumith Dayaratne.
His Athletic Coach was Mrs. Shiromi Lakmali and the weight lifting coach was Chanaka Subasinghe.
The Youth Weightlifting Team which participated at the 19th Asian Tournament held in Uzbekistan in 2020. Standing L/R – Supun Dilhara, Vajira Srimal, Chanaka Subasinghe (Coach), Divya Vedaarachchi, Deshan Kapila (Picture by Dilwin Mendis, Moratuwa Sports Special Correspondent)
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