Hashini shines winning best athlete title

Another triple jump prodigy of coach Philip Ranjith, Hashini Prabodha Balasooriya, shattered her senior training partner’s and SL record holder Vidusha Lakshani’s record with a leap of 13.20m to secure the best athlete title at the Junior National Athletics Championship concluded at Diyagama.

There was total of 21 new meet records set during the games with sprinter Nirmali Madushika and distance runner Asmika Herath setting two records each.

Atheetha excels

On the final day’s proceedings Atheetha Karunasinghe leapt past 16m in the triple jump with a personal best of 16.13m, which is also a leading performance for the event in Sri Lanka so far. In this event the winner at the senior trials earlier this month could leap only 16.07m .

Triple Gold

Golden girl from Ambagamuwa Central College, Yamani Dulanjali, sealed her third gold medal winning the 400m girls under 20, as she earlier won both the 200m and 400m hurdle, with a new meet record in the hurdle event. But the eye catching triple gold was sealed by the distance runner from Kuliyapitiya CC Asmika Herath who set two records in both the 2000m and 3000m steeple chase, and won the 1500m yesterday in the girls under 18 category with a time of 4 minutes 45.73 seconds. Asmika qualified for the World Youth Championship with her performance in the steeplechase.

47 second run in 400m

Sprinter Tharusha Dhananjaya of Lumbini College who trains under former Sri Lanka 100m champion and South Asian Gold medalist Umanga Surendra, dazzled the track in the 400m clocking an eye catching 47.44 seconds in the boys under 20 400m. Tharusha ran 47.14 seconds at the senior trials and many thought he may be a one race wonder, but Tharusha proved them wrong during this race. Meanwhile St. Benedicts’ 400m runner Ravishka Indrajith trained by Amila Prasanna clocked 48.87 seconds to set a new meet record in the boys under 18 400m. Ravishka who already qualified for the World Youth Championship in the heats of the 400m, ran below the qualifying time of 49.25 seconds thrice in the heats, semis and finals.

In the girls 400m, it was Nirmali Madushika who excelled with a new meet record of 55.10 seconds and she beat South Asian bronze medalist of the event, Omaya Udayangani for the second time in the meet.

Sachini, Sadeepa and Amasha excel in 100m

Gateway sprinter Sadeepa Henderson completed a sprint double winning both the 200m and 100m as she clocked 12.66 seconds in the girls under 16 100m, just 0.03 seconds outside the meet record. Sachini Divyanjali of Lyceum Wattala impressed in the girls under 18 100m beating St. Joseph’s BV sprinter Madara Weerasooriya. Sachini clocked an impressive time of 12.26 seconds to set a new meet record shattering the old record of 12.29 set by Akshana Maralanda seven years ago.

The biggest surprise came in the girls under 20 100m where Swarnamali Girl’s College Kandy sprinter Amasha de Silva beat the favourites, Gateway’s Sharmila Jan and Safiya Yamik of Viharamahadevi BV as she clocked an impressive 12.23 seconds in the event.

 

 

100m dramas

There were some interesting twists in the boys 100m. Milinda Perera who was the favorite to win the 100m in boys under 16, slipped at the start, and though he recovered it was too late as the race was won by H.S. Malwana from Mahinda College Galle with a time of 11.54 seconds.

In the boys under 18 event favourite Sahan Rajapaksha fell at the midway mark and injured himself while leading the race and had to receive medical treatment. The race was won by Suren Dinusha of Moraketiya Maha Vidyalaya with a time of 10.87 seconds.

In the boys under 20 race Gateway sprinter Asiri Wijesekera who clocked 10.77 seconds early this month was leading the race but he too suffered a hamstring injury towards the end and the race was won by G.C. Ranaweera of St.Sylvester’s College Kandy with a time of 10.95 seconds.

In other events of the day C. Herina of Mahajana College Jaffna set a new meet record in the girls under 18 pole vault clearing 3.01m, while A.S. Bandara of the Army set a new meet record in the boys under 23 hammer throw with a throw of 40.27m. Ladies College athlete Sarisha Gunasekara set a new meet record in the shot put with a throw of 11.55m in the girls under 16 and secured two gold medals winning the discus throw as well.

High Jumper Purnima Gunarathne impressed clearing 1.78m in the girls under 20 category which is the same height she cleared at the senior trials where she finished second.

Total of three athletes qualified for the World Youth Championship at these games, Asmika Herath, Ravishka Indrajith and Navodya Sankalpa are the ones who achieved this feat.

 

Best Athletes

Boys

Under 16: Shehan Milinda Perera (St. Mary’s College Chilaw) 22.68 sec

Under 18: Shehan Kariyawasam (St.Joseph’s College Colombo) 110m hurdle 14.41 sec

Under 20: Nipun Kavinda Kaldera (Loyola College Kochchikade) Long Jump 7.52m

Under 23: Greshan Dhananjaya (Army) Long Jump 7.83m

Girls

Under 16: Sadini Kaveesha (Vijitha CC Dickwella) Long Jump 5.48m

Under 18: Bimashi Asmika Herath (Kuliyapitiya CC) 2000m St.Ch 6:59.96 sec

Under 20: Hashini Prabodha Balasooriya (Holy Family Convent Wennappuwa) Triple Jump 13.20m

Under 23 – Nirmali Madushika (Air Force) 400m 55.10 sec