The Preliminary Round of Speech Master 2024, the prestigious All Island Public Speaking Competition organized by the Gavel Club of University of Sri Jayewardenepura began in Jaffna with a lot of anticipation. Prior to the Jaffna Preliminary Round, a workshop on public speaking was held on February 24, aiming to provide aspiring speakers with the necessary skills and confidence to excel in the competition.
The Jaffna Preliminary Round, held on March 2 at St. John’s College in Jaffna, showcased an impressive display of skill and 
passion for public speaking from contestants across both University and School Level.
Contestants exhibited their talents for public speaking by presenting engaging speeches on a variety of topics during the competition. After carefully assessing each speech, the distinguished panel of judges, which included DTM Tudor Godwin, TM Sriskantham Sribaalaramanan, and TM Sathyabahama Thaneshkumar, selected eight semi-finalists from the school and university categories.
The semi-finalists who were selected based on their extraordinary talent are now set to compete at the Semi-Final Round, representing competitors from Jaffna, Galle, Kandy and Colombo. This round, which is scheduled to take place on March 31 at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, promises to provide a stage for highlighting the island’s top public speaking skills.
In a statement following the event, DTM Tudor Godwin, one of the esteemed judges, commended the Gavel Club of University of Sri Jayewardenepura for organizing Speech Master in Jaffna. He expressed appreciation for providing students with a platform to showcase their oratory skills, and he praised the active participation and enthusiasm displayed by the contestants.
As Speech Master advances to its next stage, the competitors are looking forward with much anticipation in order to compete in the upcoming Semi-Final Round, and reserve a spot in the Grand Finale. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to discovering the island’s best speakers.
