Rashmi Wijekoon a karateka par excellence

Sixteen year old Karateka Rashmi Akarsha Wijekoon has brought honour and immense glory to her school Sri Sumangala National School, Wariyapola and to her motherland with her deeds in the field of karate.

Rashmi who hails from Wilbagedara, Bandarakoswatta was born on 6th November 2008 was admitted to her present school

in 2014 and when she came up to Grade Five she showed an in karate and her parents Ajith Wijekoon and Indika Wilbagedara made arrangements to admit her to a private Karate Academy and she came under Ananda Lanka and her first attempt was in 2016 at the schools karate games and she won a Bronze Medal in kata and at the Federation Karate Meet she won Gold Medals for both kata and kumite.

Then in 2017 at the age of 9 years at the Japan Shotokan Karate Do Federation Meet she won Bronzes for kata and kumite and in the same year at the Karate Do Federation Meet she won Silver Medals for kata and kumite and at the Junior Karate Championship she won a Silver for kata and at the third Karate Championship she won a Gold for kata and at the Sri Lanka Schools Karate Championship she won a Bronze for kata and at the 4th Karate Championship she won a Gold for kata and at the 11th Shotokan Championship she won a Gold for kata and Silver for kumite and then at the Karate Do Federation meet she won a Gold for kata and a Bronze for kumite and at the National Karate Championship she won Silvers for kumite and kata and at the District Meet she won a Gold for kata.

In 2019 competing at the under 12 age category in the Junior Nationals she won a Silver for kata and with all these performances under her belt she was selected for the 7th Indo Nepal. Sri Lanka Championship held in Sri Lanka and she won Golds fro Kata and kunite , And at the same year at the independent meet she won Golds for kata and kumite and at the Kurunegala District Meet she grabbed a Gold for kata and a Bronze for kumite and at the Karate Do Federation met she won a Gold for kata and a Bronze for kumite and then in 5th Karate Championship she won Golds or kata and kumite and at the Semi Khan open invitation meet she won Golds for kata and kumite and in 2020 at the Ambassador of Japan Federation Championship she won a Silver for kata and Bronze for kumite.

Then in 2022 at the age of 14 participating in the Karate Nationals she won a Silver for kumite and a Bronze for kata and at the Schools Provincial Meet she won Silvers for kata and kunite and at the All Island Schools Meet she won Silvers for kata and kumite and at the Provincial Meet in the under 16 age group she won a Gold for kata and at the 2023 National Games she won Golds for kata and kumite and at the National Championship under 14/15 age category she won a Gold for kata and at the Karate Senior Championship for girls she won a Gold for kata and her school coach is Manjula Vithana. Same year she was selected to represent the country at the South Asian Karate Championship under 16 age group in Nepal where seven countries took part.

 Source:Daily News