31 MEMBER SRI LANKAN SQUAD IN WUHAN SEARCHING FOR HONOURS
Asian Senior Athletics Championships
31 member team, eight officials and 23 athletes (men and women) are currently in Wuhan, China for the 21st. Asian Senior Athletic Championships which will be held from June 3 to 7. The Sri Lanka team is being captained by Asian Championship high jump medallist Manjula Kumara Wijesekera. The team manager is Badra Gunewardena. Badra is also a former national athlete and coach.
The event which is being conduced by the Asian Athletic Confederation will be contested by 44 athletes and over 500 athletes will be in the fray. Among the records established at earlier
The Sri Lanka team is being captained by Asian Championship high jump medallist Manjula Kumara Wijesekera.The team manager is Badra Gunewardena. Badra is also a former national athlete and coach.The event which is being conduced by the Asian Athletic Confederation will be contested by 44 athletes and over 500 athletes will be in the fray.
meets are the names of Sugath Tillekeratne, who is now the President of the Sri Lanka Athletic Association. In 1998 Sugath set up a record in the 400 meters with a time of 44.61. This incidentally is an Asian Championship record established in Fukoka, Japan. Damayanthie Darsha set up her records in the 200 meters with a time of 22.84 and the 400 meters in 55.05. Both records were established in the year 2000 in Jakarta. In the history of the Asian Senior Athletic Championships Sri Lanka has won 18 Gold Medals, 14 Silver Medals and 17 Bronze medals.
In the contest held in Pune, India 2013, Sri Lanka managed to win a Silver and a Bronze with Nadeeka Lakmali and Satchith Maduranga in the men and women javelin throw events. The Bronze medal was won by the 4 X 400 meters men’s team.
This year a balanced team has been sent to the event – seniors and juniors. From the seniors a lot of hope is pinned on Nadeka Lakmali and skipper Manjula Kumara to bring honour to the country.
It was a shock to note that the official photograph released by the Sports Ministry of the athletes and officials touring China are dressed in casual attire. Normally for an official photo of this nature the dress should be track suits or blazers,The Director General of Sports Ruwan Chandra is also in the picture. The tour is sponsored entirely by the Ministry of Sports.
TheSriLankateam:Men–HimashaEshan (100 M), M.V,S, De Silva (200 M), Kalinga Kumarage (4X 400 M), Anjana Guneratne (4 X 400 M), H.M. Dilip Kumara (4 X 400 M), Chanaka Jayasekera (4X400 M), Nalin Gunaratne (4 X 400), Indunil Herath (800 M), K.P.H.Nirmal(400MHurdles),Manjulakumara Wijesekera (High Jump), I.D.S.S. Jayasinghe (Triple Jump), M.L. M. Ashroff (4 X 100 M), ShehanAmbepitiya(4X100),A.R.M.Rajasthan (4 X 100), P,K. S. Somawardena (1500 M), Chaminda Wijekoon (5000 M),
Women – R.M. Rumeishika Ratnayake (100 M Hurdles), Chandrika Subashini Rasnayake (400 M), W,K,L.A. Nimali (800 M). Gayathrijka Abeyratne (800 M), T,G. N.D. Wickremasinghe (400 M Hurdles), Vidusha Lakmali (Triple Jump), Nadeeka Lakmali (Javeln).