While Safiya Yamick stole the spotlight at the South Asian Athletics Championship with her sprinting dominance, another rising star quietly made history in the shadows — a young jumper who claimed double Gold and showcased immense potential at just 20 years of age.
Nethmi Madushani Herath, from Bibile in Sri Lanka’s Uva Province, marked her debut senior season in athletics with remarkable success — winning Gold Medals at both international meets she competed in this year. Her seamless transition from junior standout to senior contender was nothing short of inspiring, as she became the youngest Sri Lankan athlete to claim individual Gold at the South Asian Athletics Championship.
Trained by coach Krishantha Kumara, Madushani had a stellar junior career. She won a Silver Medal in Triple Jump at the Asian Junior Championship last year, represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Under-18 Championship in 2022, and qualified for the World Junior Championship, competing in both Long Jump and Triple Jump.
Entering her senior year, all eyes were on Madushani to see how she would handle the leap — and she delivered. She set personal bests in both events at the Thailand Open Athletics Championship, leaping 13.58m in Triple Jump (just 8cm short of Vidusha Lakshani’s national record of 13.66m) and 6.37m in Long Jump. At the South Asian Athletics Championship, her final meet of the season, she soared 13.36m to win Triple Jump Gold on day one, and followed it up with a 6.23m leap to clinch Long Jump Gold on the final day.
In doing so, the former Nannapurawa MV, Bibile athlete proved that the promise she showed as a teenager was no fluke. Many young athletes fade after leaving school — some due to declining performance, others choosing different paths. But, Madushani has defied that trend, improving steadily year by year.
With Vidusha Lakshani, now 28, stepping away from athletics following her marriage and motherhood, Madushani has emerged as Sri Lanka’s brightest hope in Triple Jump — a potential record-breaker who continues to climb with discipline and dedication.
“Madushani is traversing this extremely difficult path with strict discipline and immense dedication. The South Asian competition is just a small hurdle in our journey towards a much larger goal,” reflected Coach Krishantha Kumara pointing to Madushani’s long-term ambitions.