Ritzbury, the flagship brand of CBL Foods International (Pvt) Ltd., a subsidiary of the CBL Group, will proudly serve as the exclusive sponsor of the prestigious Ritzbury Sir John Tarbat Athletic Championship 2025 for the 14th consecutive year, bringing together over 30,000 participants from nearly 1,300 schools, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to identifying and supporting young, aspiring athletes.
The Sir John Tarbat Athletic Championship is the oldest school athletics event in Sri Lanka’s sporting history and is conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association (SLSAA) in partnership with Ritzbury, and is organised and coordinated under the supervision of the Education Ministry.
Starting off the events and building on the immense success of the previous years, the Ritzbury Relay Carnival will be conducted on an even grander scale in 2025 from the 09th to 11th April at the Diyagama Stadium.
The 54th Ritzbury Sir John Tarbat Junior Athletic Championship will comprise Under 12, 13, 14 and 15 categories, with the first stage scheduled to kick off with the events for the Southern, Sabaragamuwa provinces and Monaragala district at the Beliatta Stadium on the 17th and 18th of May.
This year’s Junior championship calendar also includes the new addition of a meet in Gampaha, especially considering the higher participation of students from that district, and will be held on 19th and 20th June at the Wathupitiwala Stadium.
The events for the Central, Northwestern provinces and Badulla district will be held at the Digana Stadium from the 04th to 6th June, while the Kalutara and Colombo district events will be at the Bandaragama Public Ground from the 02nd to 04th July. Similarly, events for the Northern province and Anuradhapura district will be at Jaffna’s Durreiappa stadium on the 16th and 17th of July, and the Eastern province and Polonnaruwa District events will take place at the Batticaloa Weber Ground from 19th to 20th July.
The 93rd edition of the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletic Championship will be scheduled from 21st to 24th August at the Sugathadasa Stadium and will feature age groups ranging from Under 16, 18 and 20. Additionally, a Marathon event has been added to the Senior Championship calendar and is scheduled to be held between 10th to 13th October.
Ritzbury takes immense pride in championing an event that unites young athletes from every corner of the island in this manner, with the students who excel during the first stage getting the exciting opportunity to compete in the final championship in Colombo.
Nilupul De Silva, General Manager Marketing at CBL Foods International Pvt Ltd., underscored Ritzbury’s continued commitment to nurturing young athletes stating, “Ritzbury, together with the Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association (SLSAA) is proud to once again announce the start of the Sir John Tarbat Athletic Championship, the most anticipated schools’ athletics event of the year. We remain committed to developing the young sporting talent of the country and our long-standing partnership with the SLSAA is key to this end. We’re gratified to be a key contributor to this national platform which celebrates the athletic achievements of Sri Lankan youth from across the country.”
Mrs. D. A. S. S. Wijesinha, President of Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association (SLSAA) expressed appreciation for Ritzbury’s consistent support of the Championship, noting, “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.”
Extending their commitment to empowering the young athletic talent of the country, Ritzbury conducts the Mawbimata Weerayek initiative which supports aspiring athletes to achieve the goal of representing Sri Lanka at the Olympics and other international events. This year, Ritzbury plans to extend the number of athletes who are supported through this programme from 28 to 65 athletes, with the majority selected from the Sir John Tarbat Athletics Championship.
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, Rugby and Cricket. These efforts made by the much-loved confectionary brand showcase its commitment to developing the skills of the nation’s youth through sports.
