Kaushalya Breaks Down as 13-Year Dream Turns to Gold in Ranchi
For three minutes and 22 seconds, as the Sri Lankan national anthem echoed through Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi, India, hurdler Dasuni Kaushalya stood on the podium, unable to hold back tears. She tried to contain them, but the emotions of a 13-year journey poured out as she became a gold medalist in her first international competition.
The 24-year-old from Nawalapitiya wasn’t a favourite for gold. She had never been in the spotlight, with little to no media coverage over the years. But she kept pushing forward, facing life’s obstacles with quiet determination.
“I trained for 13 years at Jayathilake Ground in Nawalapitiya. I’ve faced countless challenges, especially mentally. My parents were always behind me, and so was my coach — I consider him my second father. This opportunity came after years of struggle,” Kaushalya said emotionally upon her return to Sri Lanka.
She received a hero’s welcome in her hometown on Tuesday, where she made a heartfelt promise:
“Thank you to everyone at the ground and all those who train with me. I will bring home the Asian Games gold medal next year.”
Kaushalya hailing from St. Andrew’s College, Nawalapitiya had long competed in the 400m hurdles at the national level but struggled to break the one-minute barrier until last year, when she clocked 59.53 seconds. Since then, no Sri Lankan athlete has run faster. Her name atop the results sheet in recent years has thrilled athletics fans across the country.
Her rise also evokes memories of Kaushalya Madushani, the former five-time national champion in the same event, who won several international medals before her tragic death in 2022 — found hanging in her home just a day after being named Best Hurdler at the National Championship.
Dasuni Kaushalya’s name and event have often reminded fans of Madushani, and for the first time since her passing, Sri Lanka had another athlete poised to continue the 400m hurdles legacy. But Dasuni nearly missed the championship due to a controversial decision by the Ministry of Sports to hold the National Sports Festival on a wet grass track.
Officials conducted the 400m hurdles heats just minutes after a rain interruption, and Kaushalya — who had skipped the National Championship due to illness — slipped and crashed at the first hurdle. Her coach, Asanka Rathnayaka, an award-winning technical official, appealed to have her entered into the final. While technical officials accepted the appeal, the appeal committee ultimately rejected it.
Kaushalya began her season with a personal best of 59.15 seconds in March. No Sri Lankan athlete has run faster in the past two years.
“The only thing I didn’t do was go on my knees and beg. I pleaded for a chance but didn’t get it. Luckily, we had the Defense Services Championship on the synthetic track in Diyagama. She ran 58 seconds, got selected for the meet, and then we won the gold medal. We had only 25 days to prepare for the international competition,” Rathnayaka said.
The Ministry of Sports continues to oversee athletics administration following the suspension of the Athletics Association. Elections have yet to be held, and the Ministry’s selection of coaches for the championship has drawn criticism — prioritizing ministry officials over experienced coaches like Asanka, who was not included in the team of 16 coaches.
“I had to conduct training over the phone during her first international competition. Had I been there, she would’ve run an even better time. Now, with the Asian Games ahead, we face another challenge to get selected,” Asanka added.
On the final day of the championship, with the 400m hurdles opening the schedule, Dasuni Kaushalya showed no signs of being a newcomer — she led from the gun and powered through to a personal best of 58.66 seconds, clinching the gold medal.
“There were four hurdle events at the championship — and out of all four, only Dasuni won a gold medal.”
