Sri Lanka Triumphs Over South Africa in Oldham Debating Cup 2023

In a stunning display of skill and teamwork, Team Sri Lanka emerged as champions in the Grand Final of the Oldham Cup 2023, beating out Team South Africa in a decisive 7-0 victory. The competition, which brought together some of the best speakers from around the world, was a showcase of eloquence, wit, and passion, however it was team Sri Lanka who stole the show, with three of their speakers ranking among the top five.

The team was led by coach Viren Beruwalage and Captain Chanidu Ratnayake who expressed their gratitude to South Africa for their sportsmanship and for making the final match a memorable one. They also extended their appreciation to the Organizing Committee for putting together the competition.The Sri Lankan team consisted of Ashwin Laksumanage, Chanidu Ratnayake ( C ), Thithira Jayakody, Sanithma Jayasooriya, Afrah Athahurahman and Ammar Zaffarullah. 

The Oldham Cup is a prestigious debating competition that brings together top debaters from around the world to compete against each other. The competition, which is held annually, has a long-standing tradition of promoting critical thinking, public speaking, and teamwork among participants.

Ashwin Laksumanage, won both the Best Speaker of the Grand Final and the overall Best Speaker of the competition commenting to newsfirst on this acheivement said, "this was a good weekend for us, but this is only the beginning of our training in the lead up to world championships so it's back to the drawing board this week." 

Team Sri Lanka who were Semi Finalists at the World Schools Debating Championship 2022 aim to go all the way this year, and this recent display is only the beginning of what is in store for the team.