In a jaw-dropping announcement, Minister Sunil Handunnetti stunned Sri Lanka by declaring the country had “won a Nobel Prize” at a tea exhibition in Japan. But behind the proud speech lies a mix of misplaced facts, Guinness records, and a comical twist that has left many questioning whether the minister mistook a teacup for the world’s most prestigious award.
Sri Lanka was thrown into an unexpected frenzy when Industry Minister Sunil Handunnetti told the nation that the country had “won a Nobel Prize” during a tea exhibition in Japan. According to his claim, Sri Lankan tea not only fetched a record-breaking price of 800 dollars per kilo, equal to 275,000 Sri Lankan rupees, but also earned the island a Nobel Prize. He confidently declared this as proof that the legendary quality of Ceylon Tea remains unmatched, and promised to take up the challenge of producing more world-class tea for global demand.
But there was just one small problem. The Nobel Prize, founded by Alfred Nobel in 1901 to honor groundbreaking contributions to humanity, is not handed out at trade expos or for the sale of tea leaves. What Sri Lanka actually achieved was a Guinness World Record for the record price of tea, a remarkable feat in itself but nowhere close to Stockholm’s hallowed stage where Nobel medals are awarded every December 10.
Minister Handunnetti’s enthusiastic mix-up between a Guinness record and a Nobel Prize has drawn equal parts laughter and criticism. While Sri Lankans have indeed been nominated for Nobel honors in the past, none have ever won. Yet now, thanks to one slip of the tongue, the country is suddenly trending with jokes about the world’s first “Tea Nobel.”
