Sri Lanka’s youth Scrabble team delivered an outstanding performance on the world stage, securing third place overall at the World Youth Scrabble Championship (WYSC) 2026, which concluded in Kenya recently.
Represented by a strong contingent of 10 young players, Sri Lanka competed against some of the world’s best junior Scrabble minds during the prestigious international tournament.
The Sri Lankan challenge was spearheaded by Tharin Kariyawasam of Richmond College, Galle, who produced an impressive performance to finish eighth overall with 16 wins, earning a place among the world’s top 10 youth players. He was closely followed by Kevan Croos of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, who finished 15th with 15 wins, while Pasindu Wijewardena of Stafford International School secured 20th place, also with 15 wins.
Combining these top-level finishes, the team recorded an impressive average rating of 14.33 to secure third place on the World Championship podium this year out of 22 outfits, which is a remarkable achievement.
While the performances of these three highest-ranked players anchored the team’s placement, the achievement was the result of the collective effort and competitive spirit demonstrated by the entire national squad throughout the gruelling event.
The following seven players also competed for the Sri Lankan national team: Aayush Haputhanthiri (Richmond College, Galle); Kyaan Perera and Omiru Nandasiri (S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia); Inam Irshad and Imad Irshad (Gateway College, Colombo); Aathif Kamil Rishard (Royal College, Colombo); and Kaumadee Balasinghe (Girls’ High School, Kandy). (SJ)
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