American Premium Water strikes Gold at Dragons of Sri Lanka 2026

Avindu Liyanagedara, a weightlifter from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, etched his name into history on Tuesday by becoming the first Sri Lankan university student to claim a gold medal at a World University sports event. This remarkable achievement occurred during the opening day of the 2026 World University Weightlifting Championship in Doha, Qatar.

The men's 60kg category saw Liyanagedara emerge victorious, lifting an impressive total of 237kg. He showcased his strength with a snatch of 105kg and a clean and jerk of 132kg. His triumph was met with a silver medal for Spain's Gomez Martinez, who secured 228kg, and a bronze for Chinese Taipei's Chun-Yen Tang, with a total of 227kg.

Sabaragamuwa University's Nipun Dissanayake also contributed to a memorable opening day for Sri Lankan university sport, claiming a bronze medal in the 65kg class. Dissanayake's total of 220kg, comprising a 100kg snatch and a 120kg clean and jerk, secured his place on the podium. In the same category, Iran's Mohhadov Tehran triumphed with a gold medal, lifting 289kg, while Moldova's Ion Badanev secured silver with 288kg.

This historic breakthrough for Sri Lankan university sport has been spearheaded by the Sri Lanka University Sports Association, which entered a total of seven male and three female athletes for the championship. University of Colombo's Sujan Walgampaya serves as both team manager and coach.

The championship continues in Doha until September 12, with Sri Lanka already etching their names into the history of World University sport through Avindu Liyanagedara's monumental gold medal win.