August 03, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has achieved its strongest-ever result at the World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC), with the national schools debating team finishing at the top of the global standings after the preliminary rounds of the world’s premier debating competition for secondary school students.
The 2026 edition of the championship was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from July 14 to 24, bringing together more than 700 students, coaches and adjudicators representing over 80 countries. In a landmark achievement, the Sri Lankan team secured victories in seven of its eight preliminary debates to finish first overall at the conclusion of the opening stage of the competition.
It is the first time Sri Lanka has topped the preliminary rankings at the WSDC and marks the highest placement ever achieved by a Sri Lankan team at the tournament. The team subsequently advanced to the Double Octo-Finals, further cementing what is widely regarded as the country’s finest performance in the championship’s history.
The result eclipses Sri Lanka’s previous best preliminary-round finish of fourth place, achieved in 2023, and comes at a time when the level of competition at the tournament continues to grow. The accomplishment further strengthens Sri Lanka’s reputation in international schools debating and sets a new benchmark for future national teams.
Throughout the preliminary rounds, the Sri Lankan debaters competed against some of the world’s leading debating nations, including the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Canada and New Zealand. Across eight debates, they addressed a broad spectrum of complex issues ranging from the role of sport in society to international relations, economic policy and global political developments, demonstrating both depth of knowledge and the ability to present persuasive arguments before international adjudication panels.
Reflecting on the team’s achievement, national coach Shalem Sumanthiran said finishing first in the world after the preliminary stage was a remarkable milestone for Sri Lanka and a testament to the ability of a small, non-native English-speaking nation to compete successfully against the world’s strongest debating teams. He said the performance was one the entire country could take pride in.
The championship also produced outstanding individual performances. Savith Wijesundara of Elizabeth Moir School was ranked the fourth-best speaker in the world while also securing first place in the English as a Second Language (ESL) category, marking another historic first for Sri Lanka. Rudhesh Ram of Colombo International School finished as the seventh-best speaker overall, while Adam Dhilshan of Royal College was ranked the sixth-best ESL speaker.
Selection to the national team followed a demanding year-long process conducted by the Debaters’ Council of Sri Lanka, the body responsible for organising the country’s schools debating circuit. Students first compete in more than 15 council-endorsed tournaments held annually before applying for the National Pool. Shortlisted candidates then undergo intensive training programmes and multiple trial rounds before the final five-member team is chosen.
The 2026 national squad comprised Savith Wijesundara, Rudhesh Ram, Adam Dhilshan, T. Tharaniharan of Royal College and Apoorva Jinadasa of Hillwood College. The team was coached by Shalem Sumanthiran, Sachin Tissera and Kavindra Senaratna.
Unlike many of the countries Sri Lanka competed against, where national debating teams receive extensive government funding, the Sri Lankan delegation relied largely on financial support from the Debaters’ Council of Sri Lanka and the families of the selected students. The Council’s principal source of funding comes from the South Asian Schools Debating Championship (SASDC), an online international tournament organised entirely through volunteer efforts. In addition, expenses including coaching, overseas travel, accommodation and tournament participation fees are largely met by the parents of the team members.
Commenting on the wider significance of the achievement, representatives of the Debaters’ Council said the historic performance reflects the steadily improving standard of schools debating in Sri Lanka. They expressed hope that the team’s success would inspire more young people to pursue debating while encouraging greater public recognition and support for the activity, enabling future national teams to compete on an even stronger footing.