The President’s Trophy 2024, organised by the National Youth Services Council, in collaboration with the Royal College Union Aquatic Club (RCUAC), and Youth Vision 2048, marks a significant milestone in the promotion and development of water polo in Sri Lanka. Sanctioned by the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU), this event aims to popularise water polo among schools and clubs initially, with an ultimate objective to elevate the standard of water polo in the country. 

• Venue: Sugathadasa swimming pool – 29-30 June 
• Time: 10 a.m. on 29 June and 7.30 a.m. on 30 June
• Finals: 4.30 p.m. on 30 June

This inaugural event is not just a competition, but a celebration of the sport, providing participants with a platform to showcase their skills, build confidence, enhance their athletic abilities, and foster connections within the water polo community. It is a unique opportunity to witness national-level players in action, and contribute to the growth of water polo in Sri Lanka. SLASU Elite Panel of Referees have been included to ensure fair play and high standards in officiating. 

• Teams: 31 
• Athletes: Approximately 400 
• Age Groups: U13, U17, U19, and Open Age Group 

• Schools (10): Bishop’s, Visakha, Ladies’, Musaeus, DSS, Thurstan, Nalanda, S. Thomas’, St. John’s, Royal 
• Clubs and Alumni (8): Air Force-Men’s, Air Force-Women’s, BCOGA, LCOGA, VVOGA, DSOBA, OTSC, and RCUAC 

 Event Highlights

• First U13 Trophy matches at Sugathadasa: This initiative aims to develop future national teams for Sri Lanka 
• U17 matches: Aligned with Sri Lanka’s focus on the U17 Asian Age Group Championships in 2025, preparing athletes for international competitions 

The recent RCUAC Challenge Shield water polo tournament showcased remarkable enthusiasm and skill from participating teams, delivering thrilling and nail-biting encounters in U9, U11, U13, and U15 categories that kept spectators on the edge of their seats. This exciting event set the stage for the upcoming Presidents Trophy, offering these talented teams another chance to make their mark in history. 

In addition to all current schools teams, this tournament is set to feature key players from the recent past, namely Aaqil Zuhair, Yumal Bollegala, Seevali Gurusinghe, and Shreshtha Anthonisz from the record breaking STC team of 2022, against an experienced and unyielding RCUAC side, guided by Chandula Fernando, Kanitha Munasinghe, Kanishka Fernando, Wasim Bawa, and Omira Lokuge. More National players will feature in the Women’s side, comprising Shenara David, Aneesah Fowzie, and Charya Dharmadasa looking to overcome the Women’s Airforce team in the Finals. 

The team to watch out for will be the Men’s Sri Lanka Air Force team, coached by Poorna Kankanige, who has 2 victorious years behind him as coach, and the Open League Title safely secured for 2024. 

The Airmen are bolstered by their strongly built prop Indunil Karunarathne, the playmakers on the bar, Isiwarua De Silva and Yaan Bandara, complemented by their blistering pace on the wings, courtesy of M.P.D.S. Kumarasinghe and Sumith Kumara. 

The team is known for its defensive astuteness for which their last line of defence is the no. 1 goalkeeper, Krishan Udayathra. It is worthy to note that D.S. Senanayake College has also entered a club team this year, a move that will benefit their school team at Bauddhaloka Mawatha in years to come. St. John’s College in the U17 category will play for a semi-final position with Nalanda College, while Thurstan College will face D.S. Senanayake in a similar high stakes game to contend for medal positions on day 2. Musaeus College have fielded 3 teams for the U13, U17, and U19 categories, showing rapid development to their coaching programme only 1 year in the making. They will come up against favourites Vishaka Vidyalaya, Bishop’s College, and Ladies’ College, looking to take an early lead in the season on the top podium in Girls’ water polo this year. Royal College and S. Thomas’ College will take this season opener for all its worth to extract as much data about each before the annual encounter in October, and will be one of the most anticipated games in the tournament. 

The President’s Trophy promises not only competitive water polo action, but also a festive atmosphere, with entertainment provided by a DJ, a lively papare band, and a variety of food stalls. This combination of sports and entertainment ensures an unforgettable experience for all attendees.