COLOMBO : Breast cancer has been identified as a disease that claims the lives of three Sri Lankan
women every day. Accordingly, the main objective of this competition was to spread the
message throughout Sri Lanka that every woman above the age of 20 should perform breast self-examination once a month in order to save the lives of mothers, sisters, wives
and daughters whose lives are shortened daily by breast cancer. The competition was
organized by combining swimming, cycling and running in the four cities of Kilinochchi,
Batticaloa, Matara and Colombo.
The triathlon competition thus held went down in history as the largest program ever
organized for breast cancer awareness in Sri Lanka. The final phase of this series of
programs organized by the Indira Cancer Trust was successfully held on Sunday,
16.11.2025 at the Colombo Municipal Council premises with the support of the Governor
of the Western Province, Hon. Hanif Yusuf, the Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council,
Hon. Vrai Kelly Balthasar, the Founder of the Indira Cancer Trust and former Speaker, Hon.
Karu Jayasuriya, the Founder of the Roshan Mahanama Foundation, Mr. Roshan
Mahanama, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), the Ministry of Health, the
National Cancer Control Program, professional medical schools and community partners
including Rotary, Lions, Red Cross, Scouts and Girl Guides.
In addition to the sports events, healthcare professionals and trained volunteers, using
live demonstrations, educated participants on the TLC (TOUCH / LOOK / CHECK) method,
an effective method for self-examination for early signs of breast cancer.
A special thanks was also extended to the Indira Cancer Trust, established in memory of
Mrs. Indira Jayasuriya, the daughter of former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, who passed away
after battling breast cancer.
