Winning this RCL 26 was pure ecstasy. I don’t think any of us will ever cease talking about this moment and honestly, why should we? After months of relentless hard work, sleepless nights, and pure determination, the dream didn’t just come true, we lived it. We are officially the Champions of the Rotaract Champions League for the year 2026!

What a privilege, what an honor, and what an incredibly proud moment to be a member of the Rotaract Club of SLIIT.

Great victories like this aren’t born on the day, they start with a vision. Our President, Rtr. Yasith, took manifestation up a notch earlier last year. He went into the Sports Avenue group settings and changed the group description to our ultimate goal of the year: to be RCL champions. It was a bold promise to ourselves, and it actually happened.

Of course, the journey wouldn’t have been complete without our favourite friendly rivalry. Throughout the entire tournament, the playful banter and back and forth jokes about snatching our crown right back after losing it in 2025 kept the atmosphere electric, giving us the perfect competitive fuel to bring the championship trophy back home where it belongs in 2026.

But behind that manifestation was an incredible amount of sacrifice. After months of sleepless nights and intense work by Rtr. Tharukshan and Rtr. Minupa, the Sports & Recreational Activities Co-director, that dream was fully achieved. Their behind-the-scenes hustle was the backbone of this entire victory.

The tournament was a 4 day journey that tested us across every single arena:

• Day 1 (24th): Indoor battles in badminton, carrom, chess, table tennis, and futsal.
• Day 2 (25th): The virtual showdown at the RCL e-arena.
• Day 3 (31st): Track and field, netball, and the ultimate test of strength—tug of war.
• Day 4 (1st): The big outdoor finale in cricket, tag rugby, and basketball.

We kicked off Day 1in St. Thomas College and Champ Turf with incredible energy. Our players turned the indoor arena into their kingdom, securing wins across many categories. Here is the official breakdown of our incredible achievements:

• Carrom (Male): Champions
• Carrom (Female): Champions
• Carrom (Mixed Doubles): Runners-up
• Table Tennis (Men): 3rd Place
• Badminton (Male): 3rd Place
• Badminton (Female): 3rd Place
• Badminton (Mixed): 3rd Place

A special shout out to our teams in Chess (Men & Women) and Futsal (Women) for their spirit!  It’s easy to celebrate the wins, but the foundation of our entire RCL championship win was built on exactly this kind of fight and determination. You all showed what it truly means to wear our colours.

Day 2 took us virtually through the E-Arena games, which took place over at IIT, GP Square. It was one of those days where the energy was just different, we had seasoned gamers, medium-level players, and absolute first-timers who decided to just step up and give it a go. Even though stepping onto that digital stage under so much pressure was terrifying, they pushed the nerves aside and just tried. That courage is exactly what defined our run this year. Huge props to everyone who represented our club in the e arena. Here are the results from Day 2:

• CoDM: 2nd Place
• FC 25 (Female): 3rd Place
• MK 11 (Male): 3rd Place

We also lock down crucial participation points thanks to our players in MK 11 (Female) and FC 25 (Male). Every single match counted, and their willingness to try proved that every point was a brick in our championship wall.

Day 3 of RCL at Torrington Ground was where we completely took over. It was an absolute powerhouse performance from start to finish as we dominated the track, the field, and the rope. Honestly, we turned the entire venue into ours, making it undeniably the biggest day of wins for us out of the whole tournament. Here is the official breakdown of our incredible achievements:

• 100m Men: 1st & 2nd Place
• 100m Women: 1st & 4th Place
• 200m Men: 1st & 4th Place
• 200m Women: 1st & 4th Place
• 400m Men: 1st & 2nd Place
• 400m Women: 2nd Place
• 800m Men: 1st & 2nd Place
• 800m Women: 2nd Place
• 4x100m Relay: Men 1st | Women 1st
• 4x400m Relay: Men 1st | Women 1st
• Medley Relay: Men 1st | Women 1st
• Shot Put Men: 1st & 4th Place
• Shot Put Women: 1st & 2nd Place
• Tug of War Men: 3rd Place
• Tug of War Women: 4th Place

Day 4 took us to the outdoor grand finale which took place in University of Colombo Grounds and our athletes made sure we closed out the entire tournament in the most spectacular way possible. We stepped onto the courts and fields with pure determination, utterly dominating the major team sports and turning the final day into a golden celebration. Here is the official breakdown of our incredible achievements from Day 4:

• Basket Ball Male: Champions
• Basket Ball Female: Champions
• Tag Rugby Male: Champions

We also secured crucial participation points in Cricket Male, Cricket Female, and Tag Rugby Female, proving that every single member showed up and fought until the very last second.

Oh, what a massive tournament for our club. Beyond the medals and the trophies, the sweetest part of this victory is looking around and seeing what we built together. It’s the late nights, the shared exhaustion, the members who lost their voices cheering from the sidelines, and the athletes who gave every single drop of energy they had.

We came, we manifested, we worked, and we conquered!

Penned By:

Rtr. Rana Rilwan

Editor 25.26