Directors

Quiz World (Pvt) Limited is a recently launched company dedicated to organizing broadcast and live quizzing shows in Sri Lanka as edu-tainment.

Its two founder directors are among the most senior and versatile quizzing personalities in Sri Lanka. Between them, they count over 50 years of quizzing experience. Brief profiles about them:

Nalaka Gunawardene

Nalaka Gunawardene started quizzing at 12, and was a finalist in Sri Lanka’s first TV quiz, Dulux Do You Know, in 1982. He took part in many other inter-school quizzes on radio and TV. After becoming National Quiz Champion in 1989, he represented Sri Lanka at SAARC Youth Quiz in Pakistan in 1990.

While working as a science writer and development communicator, Nalaka has continued quizzing for over 20 years a contestant, quiz compiler and quizmaster. He hosted his first TV quiz on Sri Lanka’s national TV, Rupavahini, in 1990 when he was just 23. He has since compiled and hosted various quizzes on radio, TV and for live audiences. Highlights:
• Compiler, Take It or Leave It radio quiz (SLBC, 1994-96)
• Compiler & Quizmaster, Sisu Pena Podi schools quiz (SLBC, 1997-99)
• Compiler & Quizmaster, SLT HiQ schools TV quiz (Rupavahini, 2005-2006).
• Chief Consultant to Sirasa TV to launch Sinhala version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire (2010)

Vindana Ariyawansa

Vindana Ariyawansa started quizzing at 13. From 1988 to 1995, he represented and later led Ananda College, Colombo, in many inter-school quizzes. Vindana was a member of University of Kentucky quiz team for three years during his higher studies. After a brief stint with the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, he returned to Sri Lanka to pursue a career in the cinema industry where he works as a screenwriter. Author of a Quiz Book of 1,000 questions (2008), he worked with Sirasa TV as an Advisory Consultant and Question Moderator for the first Season of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Since January 2011, Nalaka and Vindana compile a popular weekly quiz titled Wiz Quiz, which appears in Daily News, every Tuesday. All questions are also archived at: http://nalakagunawardene.com/wiz-quiz-column/

In September 2011, Vindana Ariyawansa’s team (which also included Nalaka Gunawardene) emerged overall winners in the 6th TMC-WISDOM–ICTA 2011 Quiz Challenge organised by The Management Club (TMC).