Chanithma Sparks Social Media Outcry After 'Best Sportswoman' Award Snub at Sirimavo Colors Night

An controversial incident that occurred during a Colors Night ceremony at Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo, considered one of Colombo's leading girls' schools, has become a topic of discussion. This incident succeeded in sparking a serious social debate regarding discipline, reputation, and the appreciation of talent within the school system, with a renowned sportswoman from the same school playing a central role.

This incident cannot be dismissed merely as an oversight or misunderstanding at a single awards ceremony; rather, it is a mirror that clearly reflects the conflict between the current school education process, administrative decisions, and the attitudes of the new generation.

The incident began during the Colors Night ceremony organized by Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya to appreciate students who excelled in sports for the years 2023 and 2024. It was a grand event, organized after seven years under the leadership of the current principal, attended by a large number of invited guests, teachers, parents, and students. Amidst this magnificent assembly, a sudden incident left the entire gathering bewildered. This occurred when a sportswoman named Chanithma Senali, who had achieved international victories in squash for the school, came onto the stage and directly expressed her views about an injustice she had faced.

She was the school's sports captain for 2023 and a brilliant student who brought numerous national and international victories to the school in squash. Taking the microphone on stage, she emotionally but with strong self-confidence stated that one of the highest awards she was destined to receive had been unfairly denied to her. According to her speech, she had been playing for the school since 2011, working to elevate the school's name to the highest level. She specifically pointed out that in 2022, she was the only school student to represent Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. At that time, she was only about sixteen years old, an occasion of great pride for Sri Lanka. Furthermore, she also had the opportunity to represent the Asian Games in 2023, where she was again the only school athlete participating. In addition, she possessed many exceptional achievements such as being the Junior National Champion three times consecutively and being crowned the youngest National Champion at the age of seventeen.

With such a formidable list of achievements, the reason she revealed on stage for being denied the school's 'Most Outstanding Sportswoman' award or a similar highest recognition at the event was a very minor technicality: her inability to attend the rehearsal held that morning. As she stated, she had an exam that day and therefore could not attend the rehearsal, and she had also informed the relevant teachers about it. However, she publicly accused the school administration of giving the award she was supposed to receive to someone else due to her absence from the rehearsal. Addressing the assembly, she requested them to check the event souvenir in their hands. She pointed out that her achievements for the years 2022 and 2023 were clearly mentioned there, confirming how deserving she was of that award.

This incident spread like wildfire across social media, and the student received widespread sympathy and support. Many, especially those representing the younger generation, commented that this was a brave act by a "Gen Z" generation that does not remain silent in the face of injustice. Many praised her for having the courage to make such a statement in front of the principal and teachers at a major event in an institution like a school. According to social media posts, the principal or administration's decision to withhold recognition from a child who achieved international victories based solely on missing a rehearsal was criticized as a disgraceful act. Many opined that instead of punishing a student who missed a rehearsal due to a compulsory academic activity like an exam, the school should have encouraged her.

However, following this incident, the school community of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya issued an official statement clarifying their side of the story. According to the statement, the school strongly asserts that the student's actions caused serious damage to the school's reputation.

The school community points out that presenting a personal issue directly to the assembly on a public stage damaged the dignity of the event and set a wrong precedent. Stating that the primary qualities expected in sports are discipline and gracefully accepting both victory and defeat, the school community reminds that there was a formal procedure to resolve any issue. The statement mentions that such behavior in the middle of the awards ceremony, without utilizing ample opportunities to submit appeals or meet and discuss with the principal, is condemned.

According to the school's official clarification, the "The Most Outstanding Sports Woman" award is presented based on a specific set of criteria. These criteria include achieving an All-Island first place in an individual event, setting an All-Island record, a large number of schools in Sri Lanka participating in that sport, and achieving a recognized position in an international competition. The school emphasizes that students and parents were informed about these criteria in advance, and the swimming champion, Nabhashi Perera, who received the award, had met all these qualifications. Accordingly, the school states that the relevant squash player (Chanithma) did not receive that main award not because she did not attend the rehearsal, but because she was less qualified than the criteria for the award, or because the other student who won the award demonstrated higher achievements than her. The school further states that even though Chanithma did not attend the rehearsal, she was given the Colors and a special award she was entitled to.

Another important issue arising here is the pressure exerted on the student Nabhashi Perera, who won the award, through social media. As social media analysts point out, stating that Chanithma faced an injustice should not undermine Nabhashi's achievements. Nabhashi is an exceptionally talented student in swimming and has also brought significant victories to the school. Based on Chanithma's statement, a misconception has spread in society that Chanithma's award was snatched away and given to Nabhashi. However, what truly happened might be that Nabhashi was selected for the award based on competitive criteria. Chanithma's protest stems from the loss of what she believed was rightfully hers and the suspicion that her absence from the rehearsal influenced this decision. Therefore, moderate commentators emphasize that society must ensure that the daughter named Nabhashi is not made a victim in this situation.

The main social issue emerging from this incident is the rigidity and inflexibility of the system. If a student who misses a rehearsal due to an extremely important matter like an exam faces prejudice because of it, that is a serious problem. Even if, as the school administration states, not attending the rehearsal was not the sole reason for losing the award, the student perceiving it that way indicates a lack of communication. On the other hand, maintaining school discipline and traditions is also important. However, it is debatable to what extent it is fair to prioritize these disciplinary rules over the mental well-being of children and their achievements.



Chanithma Senali's appearance on stage clearly demonstrates the attitudinal shift in the current generation. While in the past there was a culture of silently accepting decisions made by teachers or principals, this incident confirms that today's children are not hesitant to raise their voices against injustice. The way she took the microphone and expressed her views, mixing Sinhala and English ("For everyone's understanding, I will speak in Sinhala..."), shows her self-confidence and ability to stand firm under pressure. Throughout her speech, she consistently mentioned her love and respect for her school, and it is noteworthy that she stated she gained the strength to speak from her school itself. This appears not merely as an act against the school, but as her stance that justice must be served within the institution she loves.

As stated in the announcement issued by the school administration, the warning that disciplinary action will be taken if such actions occur in the future also warrants attention. While the administration may view this as a necessary step to maintain discipline in a school, the external society might perceive it as an attempt to suppress children's voices. Experts in the field of education opine that a more sensitive and flexible policy should be adopted when dealing with children who have achieved national-level victories. A child who has conquered the international stage in a sport like squash is an asset to the school. Her achievements are part of the school's reputation. Therefore, some interpret the creation of a situation where such a child becomes disheartened at an event as a weakness in the administration.

Some have described this as a conflict between tradition and modernity. A Colors Night ceremony should be a celebration that encourages children, not a military parade that puts them under pressure. While attending a rehearsal is technically important, if there is a valid reason (such as an exam) for not being able to attend, adopting alternative measures or a flexible policy is humane. Chanithma's incident should not be seen as limited to one school; rather, it should be taken as an opportunity to rethink the processes of evaluating children, communication, and children's rights throughout the entire school system. Talented children like Chanithma and Nabhashi are the future of the country. 

Ensuring maximum transparency and fairness in evaluating their talents is essential to prevent children's morale from being broken by such unpleasant incidents. It is a timely necessity for education authorities and responsible parties to look at this incident impartially and seek solutions that balance both the child's perspective and the school's discipline and honor. This incident can also be considered a valuable lesson for all principals and teachers to be more thoughtful when organizing school events and interacting with students in the future.