By Vijitha Yapa

Guinness World Records (GWR) was first established to settle arguments in British pubs on various current topics. It soon established itself as the authority to decide any debates and many fisticuffs were avoided. Today, it’s recognised not only in the UK but also in most parts of the world as the authority on a host of records.

With today’s youth becoming increasingly adventurous, records tend to topple like ninepins – and this book, which is revised annually, is accepted for its authenticity and honesty.

In Sri Lanka too, many have attempted to establish records. But only a few have succeeded although our prowess on the sports field dominates many areas. Murali’s cricket records for example, stand to this day and our achievements are difficult to surpass.

In the 2021 edition, there is mention of the highest 10th wicket partnership to win a first-class match. On 16 February 2019, Kusal Perera and Vishwa Fernando snatched victory for Sri Lanka from the jaws of defeat with an unbroken stand of 78 runs against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban.

The bowling record in a T20 international was established by Nepal’s Anjali Chand who took six wickets for no runs in 13 balls in a South Asian match against the Maldives at home in Pokhara on 2 December 2019. She took three wickets in the first over and recorded a hat trick – all on the day of her international debut.

And the first Cricket World Cup final to be won after a Super Over had to be bowled by either side was in 2019 when England claimed their first championship in an extraordinary session at Lord’s.

The score was tied at 241 runs and a Super Over determined the winner. They matched each other’s scores by scoring 15 runs from six balls but England were declared the winners because they had more boundaries. Today, it’s not on the cricket field but in the battle against COVID-19 that England is no match for New Zealand.

GWR Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday says that in the past year, it has had to process some 32,900 applications.

The book has been redesigned with new records and informative layouts. And the number of subjects covered has also increased, resulting in a comprehensive publication though many records that have been broken aren’t listed as yet.


One sees in this book opportunities for Sri Lankan corporates to sponsor and gain publicity while promoting those who aim to establish records and enter their outstanding feats in the history books.

With the present emphasis in Sri Lanka on agriculture and many farmers owning tractors, one wonders if any owners would step on the gas to try and beat the record for the fastest tractor.

Currently, Guy Martin of the UK holds the record for driving a high-speed JCB tractor at 217.57 kmph. This may be a challenge for those who drove at fast speeds before 2015; but with our speed limits set at 100 kmph even on expressways, it should be noted that Martin used the RAF Elvington airfield for his run. With hardly any aircraft landing at Katunayake or Mattala these days, it may not be difficult to hire either airport from the government for a few hours.

Our tuk-tuk drivers who like to weave in and out of traffic may like to beat the fastest speed on a three-wheeler – established by Ray Macdonald and Rojjaporn Lertworawanich who drove at 130.45 kmph.

But there is an easier record to beat if our  parliamentarians and other Mercedes-Benz owners lend a hand. The record for the largest parade of Benz cars (384, to be precise) is held by the Guangzhou office of the IT Company UNICLUB of China. Wonder if DIMO will take the lead?

The Sri Lanka Tea Board should look at beating the tea plucking record currently held by 576 people in the Kamo District in Japan’s Gifu Prefecture.

Sri Lanka born Suresh Joachim Arulanantham who covered 160 kilometres on a treadmill in 13 hours 42 minutes and 33 seconds in Mississauga, Ontario, has also gained an entry.

Missing in this edition is a section that Dhammika Perera would love to read – who is the richest person in the world? One assumes that in the next edition, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will be featured as siblings who hold the two top political positions in Sri Lanka. They may also record the other family members who hold important portfolios.

Greta Thunberg, the 17-year-old environmentalist from Sweden, deserves the two full pages devoted to her action on behalf of us all.

One task I enjoy is referring up what others say about the publication under review. For me, the best comment is by RedKing Negan who says it’s a great read in the toilet.