Sri Lanka’s youth Scrabble team produced an impressive performance on the international stage, securing third place overall at the World Youth Scrabble Championship (WYSC) 2026, held recently in Kenya.
Represented by a 10-member squad, Sri Lanka competed against some of the world’s leading junior Scrabble players at the prestigious tournament, finishing on the podium among 22 participating teams.
Leading Sri Lanka’s individual challenge was Tharin Kariyawasam of Richmond College, Galle, who finished eighth overall with 16 wins. His performance placed him among the tournament’s top 10 youth players.
Kevan Croos of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia was next among the Sri Lankan players, finishing 15th with 15 victories. Pasindu Wijewardena of Stafford International School also recorded 15 wins to finish 20th overall.
The combined performances helped Sri Lanka achieve an impressive average rating of 14.33, securing third place in the overall team standings.
The podium finish reflected not only the contributions of the three highest-ranked players but also the collective effort, consistency and competitive spirit shown by the entire Sri Lankan squad throughout the demanding championship.
The other members of the national team were 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).
Sri Lanka’s third-place finish marks another notable achievement for the country’s young Scrabble players, highlighting the growing strength and international competitiveness of the nation’s junior Scrabble programme.
