SAG Relay Trials on 20th November

Athletics Association (AASL) will conduct trials to select the final relay teams for the upcoming South Asian Games (SAG) on 20 November (Wednesday) at the Sugathadasa Stadium. Currently six athletes per relay team have been named, who will be fighting for the first four positions during the trials if they are to make it to the team, while the fifth will make the trip as the reserve.

Trials will be held for the men’s/women’s 100m relay and men’s/women’s 400m relay.

With Upamalika Rathnakumari withdrawing from the team due to personal reasons, there are only five athletes in the women’s 4x400m relay team, yet AASL wishes to conduct a trial to determine the four finalists and the lap order. If the schedule permits they also have the option of bringing in experienced relay campaigner Nimali Liyanarachchi, who was a part of Sri Lanka’s record breaking 4x400m relay team during the Asian Championship earlier this year. She is selected to run in both the 800m and 1500m at the South Asian Games.

Despite additional relay trials, reigning South Asian Games 100m champion Rumeshika Rathnayaka and this year’s fastest female athlete Shelinda Jansen, will not get the chance to get in to the SAG team. The pair could not finish the 100m during the National Championship – which was the final selection trials for the SAG – as they both suffered from injury midway during the race, with Shelinda being ruled out from the heat while Rumeshika got injured after the half way mark in the finals.

AASL had earlier spelled out the selection criteria stating that selection will be based only on their performance at the National Championship, where even US based Hiruni Wijayarathne came down to Sri Lanka to compete, and they did not make an exception when finalizing the team.

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