Dhanosh Theekshana Weerasekara of Ehatuwewa Model Primary School, Kurunegala, has emerged island-first in the Sinhala medium at the 2026 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination, securing an impressive 193 marks. Dhanosh’s exceptional achievement is not merely an academic triumph, but a testament to his resilience in overcoming immense personal challenges dealt by fate.
Living in the remote village of Hunugallewa in Ehatuwewa—an area heavily plagued by human-elephant conflict—even Dhanosh’s daily commute to school was fraught with danger. He pursued his education under the constant threat of notorious wild elephants like “Kavantissa” and “Rattha,” one of which recently attacked an Advanced Level student in the area. Compounding these environmental perils, Dhanosh was born with two holes in his heart, and tragedy struck further a few years ago when he lost his beloved mother.
“The principal of my school, my class teacher, and everyone else helped me achieve this victory. My father and elder sister were my strength. My future ambition is to become an engineer and serve the country,” said Dhanosh Theekshana.
What makes Dhanosh’s accomplishment even more remarkable is that he achieved it without attending a single private tuition class. Relying solely on the dedicated guidance of his school principal and teachers, he also regularly assisted his father with farming activities. In fact, when the examination results were released, Dhanosh was sitting on a rock in their chena cultivation, chasing away peafowl to protect the crops.