Tharindra Arumapperuma of Maharagama, a Gold Awardee and an Award Leader of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Programme launched in Sri Lanka by the National Youth Award Division of the National Youth Services Council under the guidance of the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs, was elected to the International Council as the Emerging Leader for the Asia - Pacific Region by a majority vote at the Annual International Council meeting held recently in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
This is the first time in the 37 year long history of this International Youth Award Programme introduced to Sri Lanka in 1980 by current Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Employment, a Sri Lanka youth has been elected to this prestigious position.