19 leading schools to contest Olcott Foundation Quiz for Dhammika Kalapuge Challenge Trophy today

Saturday, 25 June 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

This year will be the third year the Inter Olcott/BTS School Quiz organised by the Colonel Henry Steele Olcott Memorial Sports Foundation is being held. In the inaugural year 2014 it was the eight Olcott Schools, Ananda, Nalanda, Maliyadeva, Rahula, Dharmaraja, Mahinda, Dharmasoka and Dharmapala that participated in the quiz, which was won by Ananda College. Last year 10 other BTS schools were invited and it was Mahinda College, Galle that won the Dhammika Kalapuge Challenge Trophy.

The quiz including the cash prizes is sponsored by the distinguished old Nalandian Dhammika Kalapuge who is a respected trainer and a motivational speaker.

This year the quiz will be held today, 25 June, at the Sri Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi Mandiraya and in addition to the original eight Olcott Schools, Visakha Vidyalaya, Mahamaya Girls College, Musaeus College, Sri Sumangala Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Sri Sumangala College, Maliyadeva Girls College, Sujatha Vidyalaya, Ananda Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Rathnavali Balika Vidyalaya, Sangamitta Balika Vidyalaya and Sri Rahula College, Katugastota are participating in the quiz, making it a total of 19 schools. Besides the Dhammika Kalapuge Challenge Trophy, the winner of quiz is awarded a cash prize of Rs. 100,000, the runner-up Rs. 50,000 and the second runner-up Rs. 25,000. All participating students are given certificates of participation besides valuable gift to the respective schools.

The Colonel Henry Steele Olcott Memorial Sports Foundation was inaugurated in 1996 with the vision of perpetuating the memory of Colonel Olcott and the current president of the Foundation is another distinguished Old Nalandian Jayantha Seneviratne. Over the years the Foundation has been organising many activities including an annual cricket tournament between old boys of the eight Olcott Schools with a parallel tournament for the school boys and an invitation Relay Carnival for BTS schools.

Ananda College 1993 Old Boys Group are also actively involved with the Foundation in organising the quiz.

Veteran ex-banker and old Thomian Parama Dharmawardena is the Quiz Master and Kumar Weerasuriya represents the Foundation as the Chairman of the Quiz Committee.