Sri Lankan Athletes Achieve Record Medal Haul at Asian Youth Games

It was a fitting finale to the athletics competition at the Asian Youth Games 2025 in Bahrain, as Sri Lanka’s boys’ medley relay team—anchored by Gateway College’s Shanuka Costa—secured a silver medal in a dramatic tape finish. The result capped off Sri Lanka’s best-ever medal haul in the history of the Games, with a total of six medals in athletics.

Costa, who ran the final leg alongside the individual 400m gold medalist, missed out on gold by just 0.02 seconds, underscoring how close Sri Lanka came to a second top podium finish. The medley relay quartet—Nirudaka Vishal, Bingumina Adithya, Chamindu Sathsara, and Costa—competed in the 100m, 200m, 300m, and 400m segments respectively.

Earlier in the day, Dilini Rajapaksa of Lyceum International School, Wattala, leapt 12.31m to win bronze in the girls’ triple jump. She also placed eighth in the long jump with a best of 5.50m.

Beyond the medalists, several Sri Lankan athletes reached finals, with Amaya Peduruhewa coming closest to a podium in the 400m hurdles, finishing fourth.

Sri Lanka fielded 21 athletes in athletics from a contingent of 100 competitors. However, some deserving contenders, such as Mayon Rajasinghe, were left out of the squad despite recent performances—in shot put—that surpassed those of medalists at the Games. Had more track and field athletes been included, Sri Lanka might have added to its medal tally.

Outside athletics, the only other medal came in golf, where Kaya Daluwatte was awarded a bronze despite finishing fourth. Tournament rules allow only two medals per country per event, and since all top three finishers were Chinese, Kaya received bronze as the highest-placed non-Chinese athlete.

Many athletes returned empty-handed, including the 32-member Kabaddi squad. The boys’ team won only two out of six matches, while the girls’ team failed to register a win.

Sri Lanka’s best remaining medal hopes lie in swimming, with Olympian Matthew Abeysinghe, a former Asian Youth Games medalist from 2013, now guiding the team as head coach.

Athletics Medal Summary – Asian Youth Games 2025 (Bahrain)

Gold

Lahiru Achintha – Boys’ 1500m (3:57.42, Games Record)

Silver

Boys’ Medley Relay – 1:52.82 (Nirudaka Vishal, Bingumina Adithya, Chamindu Sathsara, Shanuka Costa)

Bronze

Dilini Rajapaksa – Girls’ Triple Jump (12.31m, PB)

Shanuka Costa – Boys’ 400m (47.72s, PB)

Chathura Dulanjana – Boys’ Javelin Throw (62.51m)

Nethmi Gimhani – Girls’ 1500m (4:52.32)