Sports
World Championship berths at stake at the National Athletics Championships
by Reemus Fernando
Punching their tickets to the World Championships will be the main target of the country’s leading track and field athletes and their foreign counterparts when the 101st National Athletics Championship commences at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Friday.
Buoyed by the historic achievements at the recently held Asian Athletics Championships, Sri Lanka Athletics is aiming to field a strong team for the track and field’s flagship event in Budapest. The medallists of the regional event will be aiming to gain the maximum rankings points possible at the three-day event to qualify for the global event as the qualification period for the World Championships closes on the final day of the National Championships.
Despite winning the Asian titles both Nadeesha Ramanayake and Tharushi Karunaratne are not ranked high enough to compete in the World Championships. Currently, the women’s 800 metres Asian Champion Karunaratne is ranked fourth in Asia, while Asian bronze medallist Gayanthika Abeyratne is ranked third in the region. The national title together with a good performance is likely to elevate them to a higher position and a probable ticket to the World Championships. Ramanayake too is ranked fourth in Asia in her pet event of 400 metres.
For the women’s 800 metres the World Athletics has allocated 56 slots at the World Championships which will be filled both by athletes who reach the tough qualifying standard of 1:59.80 seconds and the highest ranked athletes in the ‘Road to Budapest 23’ rankings.
In the women’s category, Dilhani Lekamge is the next closest to a World Championship berth as her recent Sri Lanka record of 60.93 metres in the javelin throw has got her to the 45th position in the ‘Road to Budapest 23’ rankings. Whether they reach qualifying standards or not a good performance will augur well for the athletes as the ranking points gained will also help their Olympic aspirations in 2024.
In the men’s category, the 400 metres specialists Aruna Dharshana, Kalinga Kumarage, Rajitha Rajakaruna and Pabasara Niku will be vying for the top spot. They will also be competing to beat their Indian counterparts in the 4×400 metres relay. Sri Lanka Athletics has invited athletes from neighbouring countries for the National Championships in a bid to boost standards.
The country’s men’s 4×400 metres team has the second fastest time in the world this year. The team established a new Asian Championship record in winning the 4×400 metres gold ahead of India and they will be eager to repeat that performance in the 4×400 metres relay to keep alive their chances of qualifying for the World Championships.
Notable absentees
In the men’s category, Yupun Abeykoon is almost certain to secure a passage to the World Championships as he is currently ranked 34th in the ‘Road to Budapest 23’ rankings. The National Championship has not witnessed the prowess of the national record holder in a couple of years and this time too it will be for the likes of Chamod Yodasinghe to make up for the absence.
The women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase was one of the most looked-forward-to events of the national championships since Nilani Ratnayake commenced her winning streak in 2015. There will be a new champion in that event this time as Ratnayake is serving a suspension.
Chamal Kumarasiri will be eying for his second consecutive national title in the absence of the national record holder in the triple jump Shreshan Dananjaya who decamped during a competition in Europe recently.
The three-day championship will also be a testing ground for the team getting ready for the Asian Games. Sri Lanka Athletics will be monitoring the progress of the athletes who have been selected for the forthcoming Asian Games at this meet.
Shammi Silva has once again taken guard at the top of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), securing a fourth consecutive term as President at the Annual General Meeting, held amidst much fanfare at Colombo’s Cinnamon Grand Hotel yesterday.
Already calling the shots as President of the Asian Cricket Council, Silva’s crowning achievement in recent years has been bringing the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup to Sri Lankan shores. The marquee tournament will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India next year, a feather in the cap for the country’s cricket administrators.
Silva’s administration has made a concerted effort to bridge the yawning gap between domestic and international cricket. One of the bold strokes in this innings has been trimming the number of First-Class teams – a move aimed at upping the quality and sharpening the edge of domestic cricket.
SLC Ex-Co also played a straight bat when it comes to developing cricket beyond Colombo’s city limits. High Performance Centres have sprung up across the outstations, rolling out the red carpet for raw talent from the hinterlands, who had previously been left in the pavilion.
The school cricket circuit too has been given a shot in the arm, with infrastructure development and skill enhancement taking centre stage. By strengthening the grassroots, the current administration hopes to widen the talent pool and unearth future stars of the game.
SLC’s balance sheet tells its own story – healthy and in the black. Over the past five years, the board’s financial stability has not only benefited cricket, but has also allowed it to lend a helping hand to other sports disciplines, at the request of the Ministry of Sports.
With over three decades of experience under his belt as a sports administrator, Shammi Silva is the long-serving President of the Colombo Cricket Club (CCC), one of the game’s oldest institutions in the country.
The 64th AGM was largely a case of “same XI, new season,” with only one notable change to the playing field – Secretary Mohan de Silva making way for seasoned campaigner Bandula Dissanayake. No stranger to the inner workings of SLC, Dissanayake has previously chaired the Tournament and Umpires Committees, and brings a wealth of experience to the table.
Dr. Jayantha Dharmadasa and former First-Class player Ravin Wickramaratne retained their Vice-President slots, while Sujeewa Godaliyadda continues to hold the Treasurer’s post. Chryshantha Kapuwatta and Lasantha Wickremasinghe will once again don the hats of Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer, respectively.
The election, part of SLC’s biannual cycle, was overseen and greenlit by the Election Committee chaired by retired Court of Appeal Justice Malani Gunaratne.
Vidyaloka College fought back on the back of a valuable century by Nimesh Aavinda to pull off two wickets victory over Kingswood in the Under 19 Division II Tier ‘B’ cricket tournament final played at Saliyapura, Anuradhapura on Monday.
Vidyaloka had a deficit of 36 runs in the first innings but a combined effort helped them restrict Kingswood to 161 runs in the second essay. They were left with a target of 198 runs to chase. And they achieved it with Nimesh Aavinda top scoring with 115 runs.
Scores
Kingswood
227 all out in 83.3 overs (Chanul Kodituwakku 33, Aadil Sheriff 69, Kavija Gamage 25, Nikeshala Nanayakkara 56; Seniru Ninduwara 4/74, Lidula Nuwanga 2/58, Nimesh Aavinda 2/48, Pulindu Chamuditha 2/19) and 161 all out in 65.3 overs (Kavija Gamage 57, Nikeshala Nanayakkara 45; Seniru Ninduwara 2/45, Pulindu Chamuditha 2/07)
Vidyaloka
191 all out in 79.3 overs (Lidula Nuwanga 81, Seniru Ninduwara 34, Tharusha Jayamith 23; Kavija Gamage 4/63, Upadi Jayawardane 2/41) and 200 for 8 in 48.3 overs( Nimesh Aavinda 114, Lidula Nuwanga 34, Seniru Ninduwara 28; Kavija Gamage 3/80, Dominsara Peiris 2/51)
by Reemus Fernando
There was a growing sense of uncertainty surrounding the hosting of the 120th edition of the Lovers’ Quarrel Big Match after Richmond College raised concerns over an attempt by Mahinda College to field a newly recruited player in the team at the historic match which was scheduled to commence on Thursday.
Richmond College authorities have informed Mahinda that they would pullout from the match if the newly recruited player who played for St. Aloysius’ in the just concluded Under 19 cricket tournament is included in the Big Match team.
According to sources Mahinda College have recruited St. Aloysius’ skipper Charya Paranavithana at the end of the Under 19 cricket tournament and are yet to register him under their name with Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association. They have included the player in the Big Match squad.
A source close to Mahinda said that though the player is included in the squad he was not certain to be in the playing XI.
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