Off go the 22 athletes for Asian Championships

The Sri Lanka team will proceed - in two groups for the 22nd A s i a n Championships to be held in Bhuvneshwar, India from July 6 to 9. The Athletics Association of Sri Lanka has selected a contingent of 22 athletes (men and women) and sent the team to be approved by the Minister of Sports.

The first group will leave on June 20 to India. The other group will leave on July 2. The first group who has asked for training in India will leave the country on June 20. The other group which has not asked for training in India, will take wing on July 2.

The personal coaches disagreed to send their athletes to India without them. Due to this the training programme was shattered. This badly affects the 4X100 and 4X400 Relay teams, due to the training in baton changes.

The Sports Minister met the team at Torrington Square and he was told about the predicament regarding the coaches. He requested that the personal coaches too should accompany the team and to see that they too are included in the tour party. Himasha Ishan (100 m and 4X100 m), Vinod Suranjaya Silva (100 m, 200 m 4X100), Ajith Premakumara (400 m, 4X400m), H.M. Dilip Ruwan (400 m, 4X400), Indunil Herath (800m),Sanjaya Jayasinghe (Triple Jump), Dhanuka Liyanapathirana (Long Jump), Manjula Kumara Wijesekera (High Jump),Waruna Lakshan Dayaratne (Javelin), Mohammed Ashroff (4X100 m), Shehan Ambepitiya (4X100 m), Mohammed Safraz (4X100 m), Kalinga Kumarage (4X400 m), A.D.Ruwan Kumara (4X400 m) and

This means that six official coaches and the six personal coaches will accompany the team to the sub-continent.

According to news reaching Sri Lanka the Indian authorities will be conducting the event at a top level.

A grand opening ceremony will be held on July 5, a day before the event. Forty two men’s and women’s events have been included in the programme, where 45 countries will vie for honours.

The meet is special for Asian countries, the reason being that this is held before the World Athletics Championships in London next August. To qualify Tharusha Dhananjaya.

Rumeshika Ratnayake (100 and 200 m), Nirmali Madushika (400 m), Nimali Liyanarachchi (800 m), Gayanthika Abeyratne (800 m), Dilhani Lekamge (Javelin), H.D. Vidushani Lakshani (Triple Jump) and Nilani Ratnayake (3000 m Steeple Chase).

– Sajith Jayalal, Phillip Ranjith Perera, A.J. Rodrigo, Chaminda Perera, Louis Mirando and K.G.Badra.

Lal Chandra Kumara. Assistant Manager – Yasa Rohana De Silva. for the World event, the last date in July 20. All top Asian athletes, who have not qualified so far, are expected to take part at the meet.

To date Sri Lanka has won 18 Gold, 13 Silver and 19 Bronze at previous Asian Athletics Championships.

Sri Lanka is proceeding to the event after having achieved the qualifying standard set by the Athletics Association of Sri Lanka.

There were two selection trials. In both of them 19 athletes – men and women – qualified. The qualifying standards were set up taking into consideration the 6th places of previous five Asian Championships.