Winners of Navy Public Speaking Competition – 2022 and Admiral Clancy Fernando Memorial Essay Competition recognized with certificates and prizes
The winners of Navy Public Speaking Competition - 2022 and Admiral Clancy Fernando Memorial Essay Competition - 2022 received certificates and prizes during a ceremony presided by Chief of Staff of the Navy, Rear Admiral Priyantha Perera, at the Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake Auditorium, Navy Headquarters on 24th November 2022.
The Naval Research Wing annually organizes the Navy Public Speaking Competition under two (02) categories (Senior and Junior Officer) and the Admiral Clancy Fernando Memorial Essay Competition under three (03) categories (Senior and Junior Officer and Sailor), in a bid to provide opportunities for naval personnel to hone their public speaking and writing skills.
The officers and sailors who secured the first, second and third places in the finals of Navy Public Speaking Competition and Admiral Clancy Fernando Memorial Essay Competition received certificates and cash prizes of Rs. 100,000, 75,000 and 50,000, from the Chief of Staff.
In the Senior Officer category Lieutenant Commander (INF) HCAL Mendis (first place), Lieutenant Commander (E) MPP Fernando (second place) and Lieutenant Commander (LS) DALP Ramawickrama (third place) exhibited their confidence in public speaking.
Similarly, Lieutenant (S) SD Karunasena (first place), Lieutenant (S) DBAS Sirinanda (second place) and Lieutenant (E) DMSM Dissanayake (third place) proved their skills in public speaking in the Junior Officer category.
The impartial panel of judges who evaluated the contestants consisted of Commander Western Naval Area and Commandant Volunteer Naval Force, Rear Admiral Dammika Kumara, Director Naval Operations, Commodore Buddhika Liyanagamage as well as Mr Fahas Farouk and Mr Dinuk Silva from the Toastmasters Internationals.
In the Admiral Clancy Fernando Memorial Essay Competition, held with the aim of promoting the academic writing skills of naval personnel, Commander (C) AMAS Alahakoon (first place), Commander (E) PMDJ Senevirathne (second place) and Commander (E) HS Amarasekara (third place) secured top 03 places in the category of ‘Commander or Above’.
In the category of ‘Lieutenant Commander or Below’, Lieutenant Commander WDD Lakshan (first place), Lieutenant Commander (E) AN Makolage and Lieutenant Commander JMHI Bandara won respective prizes.
In addition, Leading Electrical Mechanic, ADH Fonseka, Leading Engineering Mechanic, DGW Samaraweera and Chief Petty Officer, HPA Santha won the first, second and third places respectively in the Sailors’ Category.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief of Staff of the Navy expressed his delight in witnessing the talents of orators and realizing the cleverness of wordsmiths in the Sri Lanka Navy. He went on to say that a certain level of quality is expected from military personnel in oratory and writing as it allows them to relate thoughts clearly and gain trust of others. Wishing the best of luck to the winners the Chief of Staff said that he hopes one of the promising orators will be able make it to the world stage to win laurels to the country.
Surgeon Rear Admiral GSR Jayawardana, Director General Operations, Rear Admiral Pradeep Rathnayake, Commander Western Naval Area and Commandant Volunteer Naval Force, Rear Admiral Dammika Kumara, Director General Training, Rear Admiral Mahinda Mahawatte, Director General Personnel, Rear Admiral Saman Perera, Director General Services, Rear Admiral Nevil Ubayasiri, Director General Civil Engineering, Rear Admiral Ranjan Medagoda, Commandant Naval Infantry, Rear Admiral Jalaj Ponnamperuma, Director Naval Internal Audit, Rear Admiral Asanga Ranasooriya, Director General Administration, Rear Admiral Janaka Nissanka, and a group officers and sailors from the Navy Headquarters and Western Naval Command were present at the event.
