Kapukotuwa wins double gold with a meet record

Throwing champ Charith Kapukotuwa returned to local competition with double gold and a new meet record as he won both the hammer and discus throws for Gold within the first day of the competition at the Athletics Championship of the National Sports Festival held in Polonnaruwa on Friday (12th ).

Kapukotuwa based in the USA returned to the country for the local competition where he threw the hammer 50.86m to set a new meet record. In the evening session Kapukotuwa was back on the field to win his second gold medal of the day with a performance of 52.22m in the discus to seal the second gold medal.

Manjula’s 11th Gold medal

High jumper Manjula Kumara Wijesekara sealed his 11th Gold medal in the high jump at the National Sports Festival. Manjula who had a rather disappointing year returned with a good performance clearing 2.21m to win Gold.

In the other events of the day long distance runner K. Shanmugeswaran won another major title this year as Lionel Samarajeewa was beaten in the 10000m at the National Sports Festival after 2011.

Sprinter Vinoj Suranjaya de Silva returned to the track after missing out the Asian Games due to Dengue clocking 21.33 seconds to win the 200m final. Rumeshika Rathnayaka won the women’s 200m with a modest time of 24.33 seconds.

In the much awaited long jump, conditions did not help any athlete to go past the 8m mark, but seasoned jumper Prasad Wimalasiri was able to continue to remain unbeaten this year as he won the event with a leap of 7.81m. Shayama Dulanji and Sachini Perera who became National Champions in the 400m hurdle and pole vault respectively for the first time this year also sealed National Sports Festival titles.

Today will be the second day of the competition which includes nine finals including the 4x100m relays.

Relays

MEN

Long Jump: 1. Prasad Wimalasiri (CP) 7.81m , 2. Amila Jayasiri (NWP) 7.56m , 3. Mohommad Mifran (EP) 7.34m

High Jump : 1.Manjula Kumara Wijesekara(SP) 2.21m ,2.Arjuna Pradeep (SP) 2.07m , 2. Roshan Dammika (Sabaragamuwa) 2.07m

200M: 1. Vinoj Suranjaya de Silva (SP) 21.33 sec, 2. ASM Safan (NWP) 21.60 sec, 3. Sumesh Wickramasinghe (SP) 21.83 sec

Hammer Throw  : 1.  Charith Kapukotuwa (NWP) 50.86m (NMR) , 2. Sirira Kumara (SP) 46.97m , 3. SR Kumarasiri (NCP) 46,84m

10000M: 1. K. Shanmugeshwaran (Cental) 30:49.99 sec, 2. Lionel Samarajeewa 30:57.95 sec, 3. J.K.Bandara (Central) 31:22.8 sec

5000M: 1. Nilani Rathnayaka (Sabaragamuwa) 17:18.70 sec, 2. Lanka Ariyadasa (Sbaragamuwa) 17:32.27 sec, 3.  Shamali Anusha (Uva)17:52.96 sec

400M hurdle: 1. Asanka Rathnasena (Sabaragmuwa) 53.02 sec, 2. Aravinda Chathuranga (Uva) 53.23 sec, 3. Navodya Sankalpa(SP) 53.37m

Discus Throw: 1. Charith Kapukotuwa (NWP) 52.22m , 2.Mohommad Asik (EP) 44.66m , 3. Sunanda Niroshana (SP) 41.66m

Women

Pole Vault: 1. Sachini Perera (WP) 3.20m,2. C.K.Kodithuwakku (CP) 3.00M, 2. C.Herina(NP) 3.00m

200M: 1. Rumeshika Rathnayaka (Sabaragamuwa) 24.33 sec, 2. Nadeesha Ramanayaka (SP) 25.14 sec, 3. Sachini Madushani(WP) 25.33 sec

Shot Put: 1. Tharika Fernando (WP) 14.59m , 2. Nadeeka Muthunayaka (CP) 12.77m , 3. Priyangika Kumari (SP) 12.38m

400m Hurdle: 1. Shayama Dulani (SP) 1:00.62 sec, 2. Kaushalya Madushani (NWP) 1:00.72 sec, 3. ND Wickramasinghe (NWP) 1:02.68 sec