ISAC 2017 set for this weekend

The 17th edition of the International Schools Athletic Championships (ISAC) will take place from 25-27 February, with over 3,000 athletes from 24 international schools expected to take part in 130 events over the course of three days.

This year’s meet will be held at the Diyagama Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium (MRIS) with each of the three days of the event set to begin at 8.00 a.m. and wrap up at 6.00 p.m. Lyceum International School, Nugegoda will once again be organising the event, the second year in a three-year hosting cycle, which they alternate with Gateway College Colombo.

“This year›s ISAC has special significance for Lyceum as this will be the 8th time that we will be taking over the organisation of such a challenging meet. Over 20,000 spectators including students, parents, relatives, staff members and cheering squads from TISSL (The International Schools of Sri Lanka) member schools and those participating are expected to be present,” the school said in a press release.

“ISAC is conducted in accordance with the competition rules and regulations of both TISSL as well as the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) and will include electronic timing and measurements. The competition will also be conducted by over 300 officials as per the rules of the Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka. Each competitor will also be given a unique Identity card by TISSL for easy identification.”

This year’s event will also be the most technologically advanced with real-time entries to be made to the ISAC website (http://isac.lyceum.lk), where results and scores can be easily accessed. Designed and developed by the Department Information Technology of Lyceum International School, Nugegoda, the website will provide all necessary information including past meet records, the current sponsorship proposal and a full list of competitors for this year’s meet.

Move to Diyagama

This year will be the second consecutive year that ISAC will be held at the MRIS in Diyagama, and the move has posed its fair share of logistical concerns. However, the efficiency of Lyceum’s organising committee - consisting of 30 separate teams - has ensured a smooth transition for a tournament usually held at the Sugathadasa Stadium, said LIS Director Nikitha Grero.

“We have a well seasoned team and they are brilliant at what they do. So I can tell you there will be a pretty much flawless meet, because we look at every aspect. Everyone knows what their roles are, this is not the first time we’re doing it; it’s our own staff, who have eight years of experience,” said Grero, speaking at the sponsorship handover ceremony.

“One of the main challenges is that we have to allocate our staff full-time for this event. We plan months in advance to ensure that event runs smoothly. However, to do this our staff has to allocate their time for this on top of their regular duties,” he added.

Indeed, the planning process for the event began seven months prior, with over Rs. 7 million allocated in total - the most for any ISAC. A lot of these expenses are down to solving some of the logistical issues posed by hosting a meeting nearly an hour outside of Colombo.

“Whatever Sugathadasa has that the stadium at Diyagama doesn’t, we have to construct it there. In terms of huts there’s an expense right there. Everything that MRIS in Diyagama does not have, we have to fabricate it. And this construction begins at the stadium just a couple of days before the event,” explained Grero.

Chairperson of ISAC 2017 and LIS Coordinating Principal Kumari Grero, added: “It is much cheaper to host at the Diyagama stadium. But again, though the cost of the stadium is cheaper we have to hire all the tents and the mobile toilets, and all those things. So when it all adds up it comes to more than what we spend holding the event at Sugathadasa. Even the equipment to capture a photo finish needs to be brought from outside.”

Nevertheless, she feels that hosting the event in Diyagama offers a different experience to holding the event amidst the hustle and bustle of Colombo.

“I feel everybody enjoyed. It’s very cool and the environment is lovely, as compared to the Sugathadasa Stadium, which has buildings all around and a lot of dust and smoke. The fresh air and the breeze in Diyagama, I think, went a long way,” she said, speaking of the feedback from last year’s meet in Diyagama.

Appreciation for sponsors

Kumari Grero also expressed her heartfelt gratitude towards all the sponsors who came forward to support the ISAC. She was especially delighted that several service providers both in higher education and other service sectors in Sri Lanka have “offered their support to this prestigious event.”

Nikitha Grero meanwhile expressed his delight at more sponsors and individuals taking notice of the work international schools do, and the service they provide for the country.

“International schools play a tremendous role in the country’s education structure and are much ignored by the general public. We are sometimes frowned upon for being International Schools, but I think it takes away a large burden of the overall education in the country.”

This year’s ISAC will be sponsored by several organisations: Pearson Education will serve as the Principal Sponsor of the ISAC 2017 and Revello Chocolates have taken Co-Sponsorship. McDonald’s Sri Lanka has, as one of the special sponsors, also stepped up to support this event. Wijeya Newspapers Limited teams up as the Main Print and Web Media Sponsor and China Lanka Education as the Gold Medal Sponsor. Other sponsors are Insomnia Ltd, Universal College Lanka, Brandix Lanka Ltd., CINEC Campus, Reckitt Benckiser (Lanka) Ltd, Hatton National Bank Kohuwela Customer Centre, Edu-Geek and PLANET EDUCATION - Aus Study Gateway. 

The advertisers who have come forward to support this event are Edlocate Ltd., Lameer Lameer, Nawaloka College of Higher Studies, Litro Gas and the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management.

Pix by Lasantha Kumara