From Protégé to Champion: Dasun Continues Sri Lanka’s High Jump Tradition

For years, Olympian Manjula Kumara Wijesekara kept Sri Lanka’s flag flying high in the high jump arena. But his contribution didn’t end with his own achievements — before relocating to Australia with his young family, he dedicated himself to mentoring the next generation of athletes, passing on his knowledge and passion for the sport.

One of his most promising protégés is Tharindu Dasun Samaraweera, who considers Manjula his role model. With Manjula now retired, Dasun has stepped up to continue the legacy, recently winning a gold medal in the high jump at the South Asian Athletics Championship.

Dasun is part of an elite group of just five Sri Lankans who have cleared the 2.20m mark — a rare and prestigious milestone in the sport. Despite achieving this height twice in 2025, he had not been given the opportunity to compete in any open international meets. The South Asian Championship became his first senior international outing, and he made it count by claiming gold in style.

Born in Imaduwa, Galle, Dasun began his education at Batemulla National School. His early training was under coaches Ajith, Amanda, and Upuli, before being guided by coach Chandimal Niroshan, who helped him specialize in the high jump from a young age.

Recognizing his talent, Dasun earned a sports scholarship to Mahinda College, Galle, where he continued his development under coaches Piyal Wijesekara, Sampath Jayasenara, and Ajith. Though he consistently performed well in national age-group competitions, he never topped the rankings until 2017 — the year he began training under Manjula Kumara Wijesekara.

“After I came under Manjula Sir’s guidance, I cleared the 2.00m mark for the first time and placed third in the Under-20 category with a jump of 2.07m. That performance earned me a place in the national junior pool,” Dasun recalled.

In 2018, he improved his personal best to 2.11m and clinched gold at the South Asian Junior Athletics Championship held in Colombo — his first international medal. He later represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Junior Championship, his first overseas competition, where he placed eighth. He capped off his junior career with a 2.12m leap to win gold at the National Youth Games.

Dasun has also excelled academically. In 2019, he sat for the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination and was selected to the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

After Manjula’s departure to Australia, Dasun began training under coach Nipun Nirmal in 2022. Under Nirmal’s guidance, he reached new heights — literally — clearing 2.20m for the first time, a feat he has now achieved twice in 2025.

With his recent gold medal and consistent performances, Tharindu Dasun Samaraweera is not just continuing a legacy — he’s building one of his own.