Rotaract Champions' League 2018

By Rtr. Yaqeen Ahamed Rejal

Rotaract Champions League, also known as RCL, is the most anticipated sporting event in the Rotaract District calendar with RCL fever and excitement kicking off from months ahead. Virtually no club meeting is concluded without RCL being a hot topic of discussion in the weeks prior to the run up to this spectacular event.

 RCL, organized annually by Rotaract District 3220, is a big deal and so is the run-through for it. After much planning, RCL 2018 was scheduled to be held on the 20^th, 21^st, 27^th and 28^th of January 2018. The event was spread over two weekends to accommodate the diverse sports and games that were part of the league this year.  Registrations opened in December 2017. ‘RCL 2018’ saw a record number of registrations, with a surplus of 1150 Rotaractors representing more than 60 Rotaract clubs from all over Sri Lanka successfully registering to take part.

This year, the league played host to an extensive number of sports and games including and not limited to futsal, cricket, basketball, tennis and rugby. RCL provided an incredible platform for Rotaractors to showcase their incredible talents and sporting skills while engaging in an atmosphere of healthy competition and sportsmanship.

The first weekend saw players battling against each other in badminton, table tennis, futsal, chess, carom, swimming and handball. Members of the Rotaract Club of CCS also grabbed this opportunity to partake in the numerous sports and games and take pride in the talents they’ve mastered over the years. There were ups and downs throughout the course of the league with teams jubilant over their victories and dejected over their defeats. Nevertheless, the jam-packed sporting arenas were abuzz with participants, spectators and fellow club members all cheering their hearts out.  The final weekend of the much anticipated league was held at the University of Colombo grounds and comprised of several sports including basketball, tag rugby, tug of war, athletics, cricket and tennis.

The event concluded on the 28^th of January with a glamorous ceremony in which the Rotaract Club of General Sir John Kotelawela Defense University emerged overall champions of the event for the fourth consecutive time. The Rotaract Club of University of Colombo, Faculty of Management and Finance won the shield for the first runners up while the Rotaract Club of Excellence College of Management were placed second runners-up.

Rotaract Champions League 2018 thus came to an end on a successful note owing to the invincible effort of the organizing committee led by the Rotaract District Committee and the Rotaract Clubs that hosted each sport.

Rotaract Champions League is one of the most noteworthy events in the Rotaract agenda which highlights the spirit of Rotaract as a youth movement focusing on team spirit and leadership skills. This was also a social gathering where people bumped into their old friends, made new friends and left with lifelong memories. Rotaract Champions League once again brilliantly demonstrated to us its penultimate goal - ‘Redefining Friendship’.