Sports
Madhushani, Meron, Abisheka among juniors to reach qualifying standards for Asian Junior Championships
by Reemus Fernando
Nannapurawa MV Bibila athlete Madhushani Herath, Wickramabahu NS, Gampola runner Tharushi Abisheka, Ananda College sprinter Meron Wijesinghe and Lyceum jumpers reached locally set qualifying standards for the Asian Junior Athletics Championships at the Sri Lanka Athletics conducted First Selection Trial at Diyagama.
Herath reached standards in both the long jump and the triple jump as she cleared six metres and 13.01 metres respectively to win the two Under 20 girls’ events.
Anandian Wijesinghe clocked 10.56 seconds in the Under 20 100metres heats. He was the only athlete to clock under 10.60 seconds, the qualifying standard set for the regional event.
Abisheka continued from where she stopped last year as she returned a remarkable time of two minutes and 9.16 seconds in the 800 metres. Sri Lanka Athletics had granted permission for Asian Junior Championship aspirants to compete against seniors in a bid to achieve standards. The athlete who shattered Asian Games medallist Tharushi Karunaratne’s junior records last year competed alongside seniors in the 800 metres.
The two-day event was conducted in open and under 20 age categories to gauge the standards of athletes in both categories as the athletics government body is set to send teams for a number of international events including the World Relays and the Olympics this year.
In the Under 20 high jump, Lyceum Wattala duo of Tharusha Mendis and Deneth Anuhas both cleared the 2.10 metres height to reach qualifying standards.
In the Under 20 girls 400 metres Nuhansa Kodituwakku of Matara Central and Jithma Wijetunga of Lyceum Wattala came almost close to achieving qualifying standards as they clocked 56.24 and 56.25 seconds respectively to share the first two places.
In the senior events, top ranked national athletes Kalinga Kumarage and Aruna Dharshana finished first and second as both clocked sub 56 seconds in the 400 metres finals. Pasindu Kodikara and Dinuka Deshan finished third and fourth respectively.
Incidentally, Asian Games relay medallists Rajitha Rajakaruna and Pabasara Niku finished in the fifth and seventh places respectively.
In a highly anticipated 110 metres hurdles final former national record holder Dhammika Ranatunga turned tables on Janindu Lakvijaya to win in a time of 14.15 seconds.
In the men’s 100 metres, Chamod Yodasinghe was the undisputed winner as he clocked 10.50 seconds.The former champion Rumeshika Ratnayake was the winner of both the 100m (11.93) and the 200 metres (23.97).
Asian Games medalist Dilhani Lekamge cleared a distance of 52.35 metres to win the women’s javelin throw.The men’s triple jump saw Asian Junior Championship medallist Malith Yasiru turning tables on seniors to win.
Latest News
Woods charged with driving under influence after crash
Tiger Woods has been charged with driving under the influence after rolling his car in a crash in Florida, police have confirmed.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said the 15-time major champion was also charged with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
Woods, 50, rolled his Land Rover after clipping a pressure cleaner truck while trying to overtake it at “a high rate of speed”, according to Sheriff John Budensiek.
The golfer, who had to crawl out of the passenger door of his vehicle, passed a breathalyser test after the crash but refused a urine test.
No-one sustained any injuries in the incident which took place on Beach Road in Jupiter Island just before 14:00 local time on Friday (about 19:00 GMT).
Sheriff Budensiek told a news conference: “The DUI investigators came to the scene and Mr Woods did exemplify signs of impairment.
“They did several tests on him. He did explain the injuries and surgeries that he’s had and we did take that into account, but they did some in-depth roadside tests.
“When it was determined, he was placed under arrest and taken to the Martin County jail.
“At the Martin County jail, and even on scene, we were really not suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case and that proved to be true.
“Mr Woods did a breathalyser test with triple zeros, but when it came time for us to ask for a urinary analysis test, he refused.”
Budensiek also said Woods had been “co-operative but was trying not to incriminate himself”.
“He has a right to refuse that test,” added the sheriff. “There is a statute which he will be charged with for refusing to take that test, but we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash.”
US president Donald Trump was asked about the crash on Friday, saying: “I feel so badly. [Woods has] got some difficulty. There was an accident. That’s all I know.
“He’s a very close friend of mine, he’s an amazing person, an amazing man.”
Sheriff Budensiek said Woods would remain in jail for eight hours then be released on bond. The charges are misdemeanours, not felonies.
The BBC has contacted the golfer’s representatives for comment.
This is not the first time Woods has been involved in a car accident – he has played a limited schedule since the serious crash in 2021 that left him with extensive injuries and fortunate to be alive.
In 2017 police officers also found him slumped at the wheel of his parked Mercedes-Benz not far from his Florida home.
A toxicology report found Woods had several legal medications in his system and marijuana’s active ingredient, and he was sentenced to a year’s probation after pleading guilty to reckless driving.
In 2009 Woods hit a fire hydrant, a tree, and several hedges in a bizarre collision outside his home.
The incident sparked accusations of extramarital affairs which led to the end of his seven-year marriage and the loss of lucrative sponsorship deals.
[BBC]
Sports
Sri Sumangala cruise to semis after Kumarasiri heroics
Sri Sumangala College, Panadura secured a convincing five-wicket victory over Sri Dharmaloka College, Kelaniya in their Under-19 Division I Tier ‘B’ cricket quarter-final at Kuruvita on Friday, sealing a place in the semi-finals with two sessions to spare.
All-rounder Mevindu Kumarasiri played a decisive role in the win, following up his outstanding bowling performance with a vital knock of 44 runs to guide his team to the target of 157.
Sri Sumangala’s run chase was anchored by Kumarasiri and Neksha Iddamalgoda, who shared a crucial 85-run partnership for the fourth wicket after the early setbacks. The stand effectively put the Panadura side on course for victory.
Kumarasiri’s brisk 44 came at just under a run-a-ball and included five boundaries, while Iddamalgoda top-scored with 49, striking seven fours in a fluent innings. Although both batsmen were dismissed before the target was reached, their partnership had already taken the sting out of the chase.
Bihanga Silva and Sadika Damyuru then completed the formalities, steering Sri Sumangala past the target to wrap up an impressive victory.
The win was particularly remarkable considering Sri Sumangala had been bowled out for 144 in their first innings. However, Kumarasiri turned the game dramatically in their favour with a superb six-wicket haul that dismantled Sri Dharmaloka for just 89 in the second innings.
His match-winning all-round performance proved to be the turning point as Sri
Sumangala capitalised on the opportunity to book their place in the tournament’s semi-finals.
Scores
Sri Dharmaloka 211 all out in 76.3 overs
(Kaveen Deneth 106, Senuka Pehesara 29, Koshitha Adithya 19; Mevindu Kumarasiri 5/82) and 89 all out in 35 overs (Tharusha Mihiranga 24; Mevindu Kumarasiri 6/41, Methum Fernando 4/42)
Sri Sumangala 144 all out in 48.4 overs
(Neksha Iddamalgoda 47, Bihanga Silva 36, Mavindu Kumarasiri 21; Tishan Nipun 4/43, Sathindu Prabhoda 3/44, Koshitha Adithya 2/27) and 160 for 5 in 34.3 overs (Vidura Basuru 33, Sandeep Wijerathna 19, Neksha Iddamalgoda 49, Mevindu Kumarasiri 44; Koshitha Adithya 4/64) (RF)
Latest News
PSL 2026: Teams allowed to submit two XIs and pick one after toss
Shaheen Shah Afridi and Marnus Labuschagne, captains of Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen, walked out with two team sheets each for the toss ahead of the opening matchof PSL 2026 and selected their final XIs based on which way the coin fell.
This was in accordance with a new regulation in the PSL playing conditions, which permits the captains to submit two team sheets to the match referee before the toss and finalise one of the submitted line-ups after the toss.
The clause 1.2.1 in the “Nomination and Replacement of Players” section reads: “Before the toss, each captain may submit two (2) different XI lineups in writing to the PSL Match Referee. Each lineup must include 11 players and a maximum of 4 substitute fielders (subject to Clause 1.2.5). After the toss, each captain must finalise one of the two submitted lineups by signing the selected team sheet. Once the final lineup has been nominated, no player listed in the selected playing eleven may be changed before the start of the match without the consent of the opposing captain.”
Tosses can play a significant role in this part of the world in night matches as a result of dew. The ball often gets wet and difficult to grip for the spinners, making them ineffective in the second innings. This change in the playing conditions is expected to provide a level playing field – a team batting first can add a fast bowler instead of a spinner while a team batting second can look to add depth to their batting.
There were no signs of dew in the first match of the season however because of the wind throughout the day and cloud cover.
[Cricinfo]
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