The commencement of the championship, the oldest school athletics event in Sri Lanka’s sporting history, was announced at a press conference held on June 10th, 2024, at the Taj Samudra, Colombo.
Once again Ritzbury has partnered with the Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association (SLSAA) to conduct the Championship, which will be organised and coordinated under the supervision of the Education Ministry.
The categories for the 53rd Ritzbury Sir John Tarbat Junior Athletic Championship will comprise Under 11, Under 12, Under 13, Under 14 and Under 15.
Two new meets in Jaffna and Batticaloa have been added to the 2024 Championship calendar to increase the opportunities for young aspiring athletes at a regional level.
The first stage of the junior championship will take place across all regions and kick off for the Northern province and Anuradhapura district at the Jaffna’s Durreiappa stadium on the 13th and 14th of June.
The events for the Central, Northwestern provinces and Gampaha district will be held at the Wenappuwa Public Ground from the 12th to 14th July.
Kalutara and Colombo districts, events will be at the Bandaragama Public Ground from the 26th to 28th July.
Similarly, events for the Eastern province and Polonnaruwa District will take place at the Batticaloa Weber Ground from 3rd to 4th August.
Additionally, for the Southern, Uva and Sabaragamuwa provinces, the events are scheduled to be held at the Embilipitiya Mahaweli Ground from the 10th to 12th August.
Ritzbury takes immense pride in championing an event that unites athletes from every corner of the island.
Those who excel will have the exciting opportunity to compete in the final championship in Colombo.
The Ritzbury Relay Carnival is set to take place from the 2nd to 4th July, at Badulla’s Vincent Dias Stadium. Building on the remarkable success of last year's Relay Carnival, which attracted over 6,000 participants, Ritzbury is planning extend their support on an even grander scale.
The 92nd edition of the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletic Championship will be scheduled from 10th to 13th September at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
It will feature age groups ranging from Under 16, 18 and 20.
The overall winners of the Junior and Senior Championships will receive awards and the fifteen best performing athletes will be provided scholarships for further development in sports from Ritzbury.
Nilupul De Silva, General Manager Marketing at CBL Foods International Pvt Ltd., emphasized Ritzbury’s steadfast commitment to nurturing young athletes stating,
“Ritzbury is proud and eager to renew our partnership with the Sir John Tarbat Athletic Championship.
We are always committed to developing young talent and Ritzbury is proud and eager to renew our partnership with Sri Lanka Sports Athletic Association.
We take great pleasure in being a key contributor to the enormous success of overall athletic achievements.”
Mrs. D.A.S.S. Wijesinha, President of Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association expressed appreciation for Ritzbury’s consistent support of the Championship’s noted,
“The Championship’s continued relevance and success is a testament to the role Ritzbury plays in shaping young athletes and in building a culture of health and wellbeing for the country.”
In addition to the Ritzbury Sir John Tarbat Athletics Championship, Ritzbury is known as an active supporter of a wide range of sporting events in Sri Lanka including Hockey, Swimming, Squash, and Rugby.
These efforts made by the much-loved confectionary brand showcase its commitment to developing the skills of the nation's youth through sports.