Dinesh wins Para World Silver medal

Paralympic bronze medalist, Dinesh Priyantha Herath won his second World Para medal when he won the Silver medal in the Javelin Throw (F46) at the Para Athletics World Championship in Dubai with a throw of  60.59m on Sunday .

Dinesh the Asian record holder, who led the Sri Lanka team to the championship this year, threw 60.59m in his very first attempt and skipped all but one attempt from his next five opportunities, but his only valid attempt during the night was more than enough for him to seal the medal. He was leading till the last attempt, when India’s Sundar Singh overtook him with a throw of 61.22m. Ajeeth Singh, also from India, won the Bronze medal with a throw of 59.46m.

The 33 year old father of two is training under former National Javelin champion turned Coach Pradeep Nishantha, who is employed at Gateway International School.

He previously won the Bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, Sri Lanka’s second Paralympic medal and first in a field event. Then in 2017 he won the Silver medal in the 2017 London World Para Championship.

Dinesh served in the Sri Lankan Army as a Corporal in the 3rd Gajaba Regiment. Dinesh was wounded in Kilinochchi during the final stages of the humanitarian operations on 16 December 2008 and retired from the Army on medical grounds.