42nd Presidential Installation Ceremony of The Colombo Toastmasters Club

The Colombo Toastmasters Club, Sri Lanka’s first Toastmasters Club and the first in South Asia, celebrated its 42nd Presidential Installation held on 2nd August 2025 at Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo.

This gala evening witnessed the ceremonial installation of Toastmaster Purnima Gunasekera as the 42nd President of the Club for the 2025/2026 term, taking over leadership from Immediate Past President Toastmaster Ashinsanie Weerasinghe. The event also saw the induction of the new Executive Committee.

Toastmasters is an International volunteer-based organization, fostering leadership and communication excellence.

The Chief Guest for the evening was Past International President and Distinguished Toastmaster, Balraj Arunasalam, along with Guest of Honor Distinguished Toastmaster Niroshan Nadarajah, the current District Director for District 82, which covers Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Founded in 1983, the Colombo Toastmasters Club holds the distinction of being the first Toastmasters club in Sri Lanka and South Asia. The idea was introduced by then U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, John Reed, who, inspired by Toastmasters International, connected with promising local speakers. It was R.B. Ekanayake, a senior official at People’s Bank, who took initiative to gather 23 prospective members and host the club’s first informal meeting. The inaugural meeting was held on 7th May 1983 at the American Centre, and the club was officially chartered on 10th November 1983.

With over four decades of history and excellence, including 987 educational meetings held to date and 72 active members from diverse professions and generations, The Colombo Toastmasters Club continues to stand tall as a beacon of public speaking and leadership development, upholding excellence, camaraderie, mentorship, and leadership development.