Three hundred and seventy-nine students received merit, colors, and special awards for their outstanding achievements in sports at the annual Colors Nite of the Gateway Group of Schools held at the BMICH. Since the introduction of the school’s mascot in 2018, students representing Gateway in sports are known as ‘Gateway Griffins.’

Speaking at the event, Dr. Harsha Alles, the Chairman of the Gateway Group, stated, “Having 22 students represent the country in various sports speaks volumes of the steady advancements we have made over the years. To facilitate this process, the school has made substantial investments in developing its facilities. However, none of this would be possible without the dedicated efforts of the sports department and the trainers. We take pride in the fact that two of our trainers will be among the small squad of Sri Lankan athletes representing the country at the upcoming Olympics in France.”

The Chief Guest, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, commended Gateway for its commitment to producing well-rounded individuals. He said that, witnessing the achievements of its students, Gateway certainly stands out among private schools in Sri Lanka in this regard.

The event saw students from Gateway Colleges in Colombo, Kandy, Negombo, Dehiwala, and Ratmalana receive awards for Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, Football, Karate, Netball, Rowing, Swimming, Tennis, Squash, Table Tennis, Kayaking, Boxing, and Motor Racing.

Athlete Dinara Bandara Dela, who represented the country at the Asian Junior Athletic Championship & Asian Relay Championship; Badminton Player Anukh Pathirana who represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Junior Badminton Championship, Chess player Brijeash Saravanabavan, who represented the country at the Asian Schools Chess Championship and placed 3rd at the Commonwealth Chess Championship; Rowers Mithil Wickramasinghe & Oneli Chandrasekara, who represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Junior Rowing Championship; Squash player Vishan Ranatunga, who represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Junior Individual Squash Championship; Swimmers Hiruki De Silva and Disandu Niriella, who represented the country at the Commonwealth Youth Games; and Tennis star Ruvi Lewkebandara, who represented Sri Lanka at the Dhiraagu Trilateral Invitational Tennis Championship, shared the Golden Eagle award, the highest honor for sports stars at Gateway. To qualify for the Golden Eagle award, students must represent their country and be above the age of seventeen.

The Guests of Honour included alumni Shelinda Jansen (former 100m/200m national champion), Kamod Halabage (former national badminton champion) and Amrith Perera (former junior national swimming champion). Hiran Wijesooriya (former national basketball player), Dulanga Dananji (former national netball player), and Nihal Bamnuarachchi (Chief Judge, Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union) also graced the occasion as Guests of Honour.