Upon his appointment as the school’s sports teacher, Saminda Karunaratne noticed the limited choice of sports featured in the curriculum.
Determined to make a difference, he expanded the curriculum by introducing rugby, a sport many students had not even heard of.
Despite numerous hurdles, he went above and beyond his duty to introduce the sport, even to the extent of seeking financial support to secure equipment for the team.
Under his mentorship, the young sportsmen of Handaganawa Maha Vidyalaya, who had only been introduced to the sport that same year, went on to play in the Central Province Cup Quarter Finals (under-14 category) and the Development Rugby Boll Quarter Finals, defying the expectations of many.
Having seen the potential of these deserving students and the passion shown by their coach, Union Assurance stepped forward to present the rugby team with personalized jerseys and a variety of sports equipment that most of the students had never seen before.
"It was evident that our students had many talents, and I only wanted to be a positive force that helped to showcase them" stated Mr. Karunaratne.
“My heartfelt thanks to Union Assurance for identifying a desperate need and coming forward as a responsible corporate citizen to help these students by donating this sports equipment.
I believe this will go a long way in enabling them to perform even better in the future and bring glory to the school.”
Sharing his thoughts, the Chief Marketing Officer of Union Assurance, Mahen Gunarathna said,
"At Union Assurance our purpose is to empower Sri Lankan dreams, and we are thrilled to have discovered Mr. Karunaratne's story, which is an inspiration to us all.
Despite the difficulties, he made Rugby a reality for the children.
Great teachers like him leave an indelible impact on their students and future generations to reach their full potential.”
Union Assurance also posted a heartwarming video about Mr. Karunaratne and his students on its social media sites, which got much attention and support.
The company is dedicated to continue identifying such inspirational individuals and extending a helping hand to augment their contribution to society.”
Union Assurance is a part of the John Keells Group, one of Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerates.
It is among the most awarded Insurance companies in Sri Lanka, completing over three decades of success with a Market Capitalization of Rs. 15.7 Bn, and a Life Fund of Rs. 51.5 Bn as of June 2022.
Set to empower the Sri Lankan Dream, Union Assurance offers Life Insurance solutions that cover education, health, investment, protection, and retirement needs of Sri Lankans.
With an island wide branch network and an over 3,000-strong workforce, Union Assurance continues to invest in people, products, and processes with a customer-centric focus to be responsive to emerging changes in the Life Insurance industry.