Sports

Pushpakumara: an unsung hero

Published

5 years ago

2021/02/4

Sahan Weerasooriya

A decade of steeplechase dominance

by Reemus Fernando

Dominating any sport for a long time is not an easy task. It takes commitment and a deep devotion to the sport to perform continuously at the top level specially when rewards for achievements are hard to come by. Rajapaksha Mudiyanselage Samantha Pushpakumara, lovingly called ‘Blackiya’ by fellow athletes, is one of the rare performers who demonstrated such commitment and determination to dominate one of track and field’s more demanding disciplines, the 3,000 metres steeplechase for almost ten years.

From 2011 he was the undisputed champion in his pet event, the 3000 metres steeplechase, which is still to attract the recognition it richly deserves in Sri Lanka and the South Asian region. Pushpakumara clocked 9:05.45 seconds to win his maiden national title in 2011 reached his peak six years later when he clocked a notable 8:52.19 seconds at the National Championship in 2017. That personal best performance powered him to the 30th position in Asian rankings behind a host of Japanese and African born athletes. That was the third fastest performance in the South Asian region that year.

The absence of this endurance discipline at the South Asian Games has prevented the likes of Pushpakumara from hogging limelight at the regional event and testing their true potentials by competing against tough opposition. However, despite such drawbacks and even the absence of the event at the National Sports Festival, Pushpakumara has persevered in this discipline for more than a decade now.

Though, Sri Lanka started this discipline only after a synthetic track was first laid at the Sugathadasa Stadium in 1989, it has a long history in Asia with both the Asian Games (1951) and the Asian Athletics Championships (1973) featuring the event from the very inception.

Of the steeplechase races conducted at the National Championships since 1989, Pushpakumara has accounted for nearly one third of the titles, an achievement that needs to be applauded. Apart from the National titles, Pushpakumara has accounted for many Sri Lanka Army Athletics titles, Defence Services Championship titles and bagged numerous trial meet victories.

For an athlete who has dominated the discipline for so many years, the national record was probably the only achievement that he could not accomplish. According to Sri Lanka Athletics Recorder Saman Kumara, Pushpakumara is ranked third in the country’s all-time best performers’ list in the steeplechase.

Only the national record holder Shantha Mendis and former national champion Upendra Indika Bandara have run faster than Pushpakumara in the history of this discipline.

Apart from steeplechase, Pushpakumara also found success in the 5,000 metres and the Cross Country winning titles including the National Sports Festival title on more than one occasion.

Pushpakumara’s commitment for steeplechase and long-distance events was rewarded by Sri Lanka Athletics when he was selected for a few international events including the Asian Cross Country Championships and the Vietnam Open Athletics Championships. In 2017 he was the winner of both the steeplechase and the 1500 metres at the Vietnam Open Athletics Championships.

He was picked for the South Asian Games teams solely on merit of his 5000 metres performances as his pet event was yet to debut at the regional event.

With no big achievements to his credit at school level, Pushpakumara honed his ability to run distance events after joining the Army. But it took several years after joining the Artillery Regiment, for him to carve a niche for himself as a formidable steeplechaser at national level.

The only child in the family, Pushpakumara had “won village Avurudu races” but “had no big victories at school level” as a student of Mellawagedara MV, Divulapitiya. His first notable achievement whilst in the Army came in 2008 when he was placed third in the 5,000 metres at the Army Athletics Championship. That was after he came under the supervision of Brigadier Parry Liyanage who was a mentor to many leading distance runners including Chaminda Wijekoon and Anurada Indrajith Cooray who later went on to establish Sri Lanka records in the men’s 1500 metres and the marathon respectively.

After dominating the steeplechase for nearly a decade, Pushpakumara has decided to shift his focus to distance road events. He won the 5000 metres at the last National Athletics Championship hheld in December but had to be content with the runner up title in the 3,000 metres steeplechase. It was the first time in ten years that the title eluded him.

He will probably make one last attempt to regain the title at the next National Championships under the guidance of Upali Wickramasinghe, who has been training him for a long time now. The result of the men’s steeplechase at the next nationals will be of little interest to Pushpakumara’s fans as he has already left a lasting impression in their hearts.

Profile

Name: Rajapaksha Mudiyanselage
Samantha Pushpakumara

Date of birth:

16th March 1983

Club:

Sri Lanka Army

Personal Bests:

1,500m:

3:53.59 secs

3,000m Steeplechase:

8:52.19secs

5,000m:

14:26.68 secs

Coaches:

Parry Liyanage,

Upali Wickramasinghe

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Latest News

Ashes over for Cummins, uncertainty over T20 World Cup too

Published

11 mins ago

2025/12/23

Priyan

Pat Cummins added to his tally against Joe Root in the third Test [Cricinfo]

Australia captain Pat Cummins won’t feature again in the Ashes and there is uncertainty about whether he will be available for the T20 World Cup in February, with selectors and medical staff unwilling to take any risks over his long-term health.

When Australia’s squad for the MCG Boxing Day Test was named on Tuesday morning, it was confirmed, as Cummins had flagged after Adelaide, that he would sit out the match. Head coach Andrew McDonald said a few hours later that Cummins’ series was over after one appearance, which helped secure the Ashes.

Cummins was diagnosed with a lumbar stress reaction after the tour of the West Indies, but following an aggressive rehab programme, he bowled brilliantly in Adelaide where he claimed six wickets as Australia won by 82 runs.

“He’s pulled up fine,” McDonald said. “He won’t play any part in the rest of the series and that was a discussion that we had a long time out around his return.

“We were taking on some risk and people that reported on that would understand the risk associated with that rebuild. We’ve now won the series and that was the goal. So, to position him for further risk and jeopardise him long-term is not something that we want to do and Pat’s really comfortable with that.”

Even though Cummins’ Ashes has been limited to one match, McDonald said it had been a huge effort from all involved to even get to that point.

“If he had any setback in the build as well, we would have shut him down straight away,” he said. “Everything went really smoothly and full credit to him [and] the medical team. To navigate through that risk profile to get him back and take six wickets in that game and nail the Ashes series was incredibly pleasing for everyone associated with that.

“If you look at the… decision sort of four months ago and the journey he went on to get to where he was to be able to play the third Ashes Test when people thought it was nigh on impossible, that took an incredible amount of work from our SSSM [Sports Science Sports Medicine] team.”

McDonald said that would be part of a discussion with the other selectors later on Tuesday about the T20 World Cup squad, which is due to be named soon, and indicated that further medical advice would be taken around Cummins’ participation.

Cummins has not played a T20I for Australia since mid-2024 at the previous World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA. Shortly after the upcoming edition takes place in India and Sri Lanka, IPL 2026 will begin, where Cummins is due to captain Surisers Hyderabad (SRH).

“That’ll be an assessment,” McDonald said of Cummins’ T20 World Cup chances. “I’m assuming he’ll have a check-in scan at some point and gather more information around where his back is at… looking forward to the World Cup, whether he’ll be there or not. I can’t really say. It’s quite grey at the moment. We’re hopeful.”

Cummins’ injury along with the one suffered by Josh Hazlewood, who won’t feature at all in the Ashes, and Sean Abbott, who was ruled out before the first Test, has tested the depth of Australia’s pace resources.

Mitchell Starc, led the attack superbly in the first two Tests before producing a series-clinching three wickets on the final day in Adelaide and has already stated his desire to continue through all five matches.

“Starc’s amazing, he’s pulled up fine, I don’t know how he does it,” McDonald said. “I walked into the physio room the other day and sort of just went through the body count and how we’re going. I won’t use exactly what [the physio] said, but he just said he [Starc] is a freak.

“He keeps running in, presenting the pace that he does. There’s a lot to be learned around preparing yourself and targeting the right matches at the right time. He’s given up a lot of IPL opportunities and you’re seeing a player that wants to play Test cricket and he’s still at his best. It’s an incredible story. Let’s hope it continues for a long time yet but he’s a freak, end of story.”

Australia have added Jhye Richardson to their pace options for the fourth Test at the MCG following his recovery from shoulder surgery. Richardson last played a Test during the 2021-22 Ashes.

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Sri Lanka World Cup games uninterrupted despite cyclone and flooding

Published

8 hours ago

2025/12/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Pallekele Stadium in Kandy all set for World Cup fixtures.

Sri Lanka’s share of the T20 World Cup will go ahead without disruption despite a recent cyclone and severe flooding that left large parts of the country battered and bruised.

Tournament organisers confirmed that matches scheduled in the island nation will proceed as planned, with Sri Lanka co-hosting the sport’s showpiece event alongside India. Three venues in Sri Lanka will stage games during the competition.

Sri Lanka is set to host 20 of the 55 matches in the tournament. Should Pakistan advance deep into the competition, the island will also stage a semi-final and the final, as Pakistan are unable to travel to India due to long-standing political tensions between the neighbours.

On November 27, cyclonic storm Ditwah swept across Sri Lanka and several other South-East Asian countries, bringing daily life to a grinding halt. Flooding and landslides claimed at least 634 lives, with more than 200 deaths reported in the central city of Kandy.

A recent inspection of facilities in Kandy, however, allayed fears, with authorities giving the ground the all-clear after confirming that damage was minimal.

“We are happy with the progress we have made and it is going to be a superb event,” an official involved in inspecting the Pallekele Stadium told Telecom Asia Sport. “Sri Lanka has hosted ICC events before with great success and we have no doubt this tournament will be another feather in our cap. Kandy has been cleared, as have the other two venues.”

Work is also nearing completion at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club ground, where floodlights are being installed ahead of five scheduled matches. The capital’s R. Premadasa Stadium will host the bulk of the fixtures, including the blockbuster India–Pakistan clash on February 15.

“There has been huge demand for tickets for the India–Pakistan game,” the official said. “We expect a surge of tourists into Colombo around that fixture, which will provide a significant boost to the economy. Travel companies have already rolled out special packages and we anticipate full houses for several marquee games. India–Pakistan is the main attraction, no doubt, but matches like Sri Lanka versus Australia are also keenly awaited.”

Sri Lanka recently staged several Women’s World Cup matches, some of which were affected by rain. Organisers, however, are confident the weather will stay out of the contest this time, with February and March traditionally dry months in both Colombo and Kandy. (www.telecomasia.net)

Sports

Maliban biscuits partners Yevan David as Sri Lanka enters Formula 3 history

Published

8 hours ago

2025/12/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Maliban Biscuits has announced a partnership with rising motorsport talent Yevan David, as he prepares to compete on the international stage in the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship.

At just 18, Yevan has emerged as one of Asia’s fastest-rising drivers, competing across some of Europe’s toughest circuits and creating history as the first Sri Lankan to race in the FIA Formula 3 Championship. This partnership brings together a young athlete redefining what’s possible for Sri Lanka in global motorsport and a homegrown brand that has consistently backed Sri Lankan ambition on the field, on the track, and beyond.

Yevan’s racing story began in go-karts, starting with early laps at the Sri Lanka Karting Circuit before moving into competitive karting in Singapore, where he quickly started stacking international results, including winning the IAME Asia Series (X30 Cadet) and the X30 Asia Cup. After graduating from karts, he stepped into single-seaters in 2024 across UAE F4, Spanish F4 and Eurocup-3, then announced himself in Europe by winning twice on his Euroformula Open debut weekend at Monza. In 2025, he underlined that momentum by taking the Euroformula Open Rookie title and finishing second overall, cementing his status as one of the most compelling young talents to emerge from Sri Lanka onto the global grid.

Commenting on the partnership, Yevan David said:

“Partnering with Maliban means a lot to me. They’ve supported Sri Lankan sport for generations, so having them beside me as I take this next step feels special. I’m proud to carry our flag forward with a brand that believes in our country’s potential as much as I do.”

Over the years, the brand has stood firmly behind Sri Lanka’s sporting journey across every level of competition, supporting the New Zealand U85kg Rugby Tour of Sri Lanka on the international stage, strengthening hockey at school level, backing the Sri Lanka U19 Women’s Cricket Team, supporting the U20 Men’s and Women’s rugby teams, championing Sri Lanka Rugby at the Asia Rugby Qualifiers and powering the Inter Club Rugby League and Clifford Cup Knockout Championship 2025/2026. This continued investment reflects a long-term commitment to building opportunity, confidence, and national pride through sport.

With Maliban’s support, Yevan’s journey to the FIA Formula 3 grid becomes more than an individual milestone, it becomes a national statement of belief and progress. Together, Maliban and Yevan will carry Sri Lanka’s flag into every corner, every lap, and every finish line he chases in 2026.