Nine-year-old Tanasha Raddella has become the first female driver to win a round of the IAME Sri Lanka Series, marking a significant milestone for women in local motorsport. Her achievement is supported by major corporate sponsors backing her participation in regional and international racing competitions.
Tanasha Raddella has secured a historic victory in the third round of the IAME Sri Lanka Series held in Bandaragama, becoming the first female driver to win a round of the championship. The achievement represents a notable milestone in Sri Lankan motorsport and underscores the barriers being broken for women in the traditionally male-dominated sport.
At just nine years old, Raddella is already competing at multiple levels of international competition. She currently participates in both the Malaysian Karting Championship and the IAME Malaysia Championship, and will begin competing in the IAME Asia Championship from August. Her involvement in these regional series positions her among some of Asia's most competitive young drivers.
A consortium of Sri Lankan businesses is backing Raddella's racing career, including Mobil, Yokohama, Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Auto Miraj, and Pitpass. According to her parent and manager Thushira Raddella, this partnership extends beyond competitive racing to address broader goals of youth development and gender representation in motorsport. The sponsors' involvement reflects a commitment to enabling talented young athletes to compete at elite levels despite the significant costs associated with training, travel, and equipment.
Beyond her racing achievements, Raddella competes across multiple sports disciplines. She holds the Under-10 Athletics Championship at her school and participates in the school's Under-13 Girls' Basketball Team and football squad. Her success story is being positioned as an inspiration for other young girls in Sri Lanka to pursue careers in fields where women have been historically underrepresented.
