Greshan, Sadini shine with records- Junior Nationals Day2

Long jumpers Greshan Dhananjaya and Sadini Kavisha excelled with new meet records, as four new meet records were set on the second day of the Junior National Athletics Championship continued at Diyagama yesterday.

Greshan, the world junior participant, leapt 7.83m to set a new meet record in the boys’ under-23 category. His feat is just 0.03 m behind the former Sri Lanka record, while he also could have secured a win at the senior trials earlier this month if he had participated.

Sadini from Vijitha Central Dickwella leapt 5.48m in the girls’ under-16 long jump to set a new meet record beating Gateway girl Sadeepa Henderson. Golden girl Yamani Dulanjali from Ambagamuwa CC excelled in her pet event, the hurdles, clocking 1 minute 01.68 seconds in the girls’ under-20 400m hurdles to set a new meet record.

Jaffna’s Arunodaya College Pole Vaulter Napthali Joyson leapt 4.61m in the boys’ under-20 to shatter the record set by Ishara Sandaruwan, which is also a new National junior record. Joyson was looking at more impressive leaps after clearing 4.61m but injured his leg depriving him of any further progress as he could barely walk.

In the other events of the day teenage long jump sensation from Ambalangoda, Ridma Nishadi Abeyrathna sealed her second major title this year winning the under-20 girls’ long jump with a 5.87m leap.

Nishadi who leapt more than 6 metres early this month to win the senior long jump at the National trials could not repeat her feat, but her leap was more than enough to secure the Gold medal beating Purnima Gunarathne of Leeds International School Panadura.