“FROM DUNCAN WHITE TO DIYAGAMA: ARMY’S GOLDEN RUN ENTERS 61ST YEAR”
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By Lieutenant Duminda Senarath
DIYAGAMA – On the morning of 27th October 2026, when the starter’s gun echoes across the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Complex in Diyagama, it will signal far more than the beginning of another race. It will mark the 61st chapter of the most historic sporting tradition in Sri Lankan sports.
The Sri Lanka Army will conduct its 61st Army Inter-Regiment Athletics Championship from 27th to 29th October 2026 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium, Diyagama, while the rugged and roaring Inter-Regiment Tug of War Championship will be fought out on the same grounds on 27th and 28th October. Two championships, one venue, and over a thousand soldiers who have traded their rifles for batons, javelins and spikes for three days.
To understand the magnitude of this event, one must go back to 1950. That was the year the Army Athletics Committee was formed, and its first chairman was not just any officer, but Lieutenant Duncan White, the hero who won Sri Lanka’s first ever Olympic medal, a silver in the 400m hurdles at the London Olympics in 1948. Under his vision, the Army decided that a soldier must be as fast on the track as he is firm on the battlefield. Since then, the Army has become the single largest medal-winning establishment in the country. From the Olympics to the Commonwealth Games, from the Asian Games to the World Military Games, Army athletes have brought home gold, silver and bronze in numbers that no other institution has matched. For decades the championship was held at Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo, producing legends like Susanthika Jayasinghe and Mahesh Perera, whose Army records stood for over two decades. In recent years, the home of the championship has shifted to Diyagama, the country’s only fully certified international synthetic track, where records are not just broken but shattered.
Last year proved it. The 60th edition held in August 2025 saw over 600 athletes from 24 men’s regiments and 5 women’s regiments produce one national record, one new Army record and eleven meet records. Craftsman K. Puvitharan of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineers soared over 5.18 metres in the pole vault to set a new national record, while Staff Sergeant Aruna Darshana’s blistering 20.52 seconds in the 200 metres and Staff Sergeant Nadeesha Ramanayake’s 52.86 seconds in the women’s 400 metres made them the best athletes of the meet. The Electrical and Mechanical Engineers were crowned men’s champions, while the Sri Lanka Army Women’s Corps ruled the women’s category with absolute dominance.
This year, the competition will be fiercer. The three-day athletics programme will feature everything from the explosive 100 metres to the punishing 10,000 metres, from the high hurdles to the 4×400 metre relays that decide the overall champion in the final hour. At the same time, on a separate turf, the Tug of War pits will witness the raw power of regimental pride. The Tug of War, often won by giants like the Sri Lanka Artillery, the Gajaba Regiment and the Army Service Corps, is where brute strength meets team spirit, and it is always the crowd favourite.
More importantly, this 61st edition is not just an inter-regiment rivalry. It is the official selection for the Defence Services Championship and the National Athletics Championship, where last year Army athletes emerged as overall national champions with 28 gold medals. For many young recruits from units in Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, Diyagama will be their first chance to be spotted for the national pool.
The grand closing ceremony is expected to be graced by the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Nilantha Premaratne, together with the Chairman of the Army Athletics Committee, senior military officers and distinguished national athletes. The occasion will recognize the achievements of outstanding competitors and winning regiments while celebrating the commitment of the coaches, officials and support personnel who contribute to the continued development of Army sports.
The championship also reinforces the importance of physical fitness and sporting excellence within military life. The qualities developed through competitive sport, including endurance, courage, teamwork, self-discipline and mental resilience, remain essential to soldiers both on and off the field of play.
From the historic achievement of Duncan White at the 1948 London Olympic Games to the record-breaking performances witnessed at Diyagama, the story of Sri Lanka Army athletics is one of perseverance, dedication and an enduring pursuit of excellence. As athletes prepare to compete from 27 to 29 October 2026, the 61st Army Inter-Regiment Athletics Championship will provide another opportunity to honour this proud heritage and inspire the next generation of military sportsmen and sportswomen.
The accompanying Inter-Regiment Tug of War Championship will further demonstrate the strength of regimental unity, reminding all participants and spectators that sporting success is built on collective effort as much as individual ability.
For the Sri Lanka Army, these championships represent far more than medals, trophies and records. They embody a tradition of service, discipline and national pride that has endured for more than six decades. From Duncan White to Diyagama, the Army’s golden sporting legacy continues.
