Taking “The Gap” to the Globe
Toastmaster Dilan Joseph to represent Sri Lanka at the World Championship of Public Speaking® 2021
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA — District 82 of Toastmasters International is proud to have Toastmaster Dilan Joseph from Amana Bank Toastmasters Club, representing Sri Lanka and Region 13 Toastmasters, at the World Championship of Public Speaking® at the Toastmasters International 2021 Convention, held virtually this year from the 23rd – 28th August.
Toastmaster Dilan Joseph, the Immediate Past President of Amana Bank Toastmasters Club, has been a Toastmaster since 2015. He is a banking professional of 16 years and is currently the Manager – Digital Channel Experience at Amana Bank PLC. Having previously won the Club, Area and Division contests, Dilan was able to reach his greatest height yet this year at the District-Level international speech contest and subsequently at the Regional Quarterfinals where he qualified as one of two semi-finalists among contestants from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal with his speech titled “The Gap”, spreading a message of self-acceptance.
Being selected to the World Championship of Public Speaking® is not an easy feat. Only a few Sri Lankans have had the privilege of competing at the Finals, namely Kaishika Rodrigo, Arfath Saleem and, most notably, the 2015 World Champion of Public Speaking® Dananjaya Hettiarachchi. As stated by Toastmasters International: “For many amateur speakers, this competition is the opportunity of a lifetime. Past winners have used this accolade to become prominent paid speakers, delivering keynotes and speeches around the globe.”
Looking to the future, Toastmaster Dilan plans to leverage his accomplishment to build a platform to encourage others, especially undergraduates, to reach beyond what they thought was possible by training them with public speaking skills which would eventually bring about confident speakers and leaders. “Additionally, I have the vision to help young graduates develop their public speaking skills in order to enter the corporate world with a competitive and professional outlook,” he said. “We have so many talented people in the younger generations. I believe that, as responsible public speakers, it should be our duty to support them to take their first steps”. We believe that he sets a great example not only for the rest of the Toastmasters fraternity but also for the Sri Lankan youth and younger generations.
Dilan’s first challenge will be at Semi-final 3 where he will go head-to-head against six of the 28 semi-finalists from across the globe. This will take place on the 24th of August at 4 pm Eastern Daylight Time (25th of August at 1.30 am Sri Lankan Time). Should he succeed, he will be one of eight contestants who will compete at the Finals on the 28th of August at 8 am Eastern Daylight Time (28th of August at 5.30 pm Sri Lankan Time). Toastmasters and guests alike can tune in to the contest live by registering at www.toastmasters.org/events/2021-international-convention.
As the Leadership and Members of District 82 Toastmasters, we wish to extend our heartiest wishes to Toastmaster Dilan Joseph as he takes on the world flying the Sri Lankan flag high. We wish him the strength, resolve and courage to deliver his best speech and spread a powerful message from our beautiful island nation.
About Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International is a worldwide non-profit educational organization that empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Headquartered in Englewood, Colo., the organization’s membership exceeds 364,000 in more than 16,200 clubs in 145 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.
