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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Sports

LPL resumes in Dambulla

Published

4 hours ago

2026/07/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

International stars continue to enhance the appeal of the Lanka Premier League, with former Pakistan captain and premier fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, representing Kandy Royals, among the tournament’s biggest attractions.

After a weekend of entertaining cricket in Colombo, the Lanka Premier League movesd to Dambulla, where another exciting phase of the tournament awaits. The North Central town will host nine matches, including double-headers over the weekend. The competition will then shift to Kandy before returning to Colombo for the business end, with R. Premadasa Stadium staging the playoffs and the final.

There were no clear frontrunners during the SSC leg of the competition, although Galle Gallants strengthened their position by winning both their matches. They remain the only unbeaten side after the opening round. At the other end of the table, Kandy Royals have work to do after losing both their games. Dambulla Sixers, Colombo Kaps and Jaffna Kings have each won one match and lost one.

Among the local players, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Janith Liyanage have been the standout performers with the bat. South Africa’s Reeza Hendricks and Australians Sam Harper and Ben McDermott have also produced impressive knocks. With the ball, Eshan Malinga, Akif Javed and Binura Fernando have led the way with a string of eye-catching performances.

The resurgence of Charith Asalanka augurs well for Sri Lankan cricket. The left-hander, who captained the national T20 side before being removed just ahead of the World Cup and subsequently lost his place in the team, has reminded everyone of the talent that made him one of the country’s brightest prospects.

More broadly, the tournament continues to serve Sri Lankan cricket well. While it provides players with a lucrative earning opportunity, it also prepares them for the demands of international cricket and offers selectors an ideal platform to assess emerging talent. Equally important, it gives out-of-form players the opportunity to rebuild confidence and revive their careers.

Sharing a dressing room with established international stars such as Shaheen Afridi, James Neesham, Gulbadin Naib, Rassie van der Dussen, Mohammad Nawaz, David Wiese and Moeen Ali can only accelerate the development of the younger local players.

The LPL was launched at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and although the tournament has experienced interruptions, largely due to franchise ownership changes, it has continued to make steady progress, attracting several high-profile players and coaches. There are ambitious plans to expand the competition to six teams once greater continuity and stability are assured. The tournament is overseen by SSC stalwart Samantha Dodanwala.

Sports

Yupun cites lack of professionalism in athletics for premature retirement

Published

4 hours ago

2026/07/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

Yupun Abeykoon

History-making sprinter Yupun Abeykoon announced his retirement from competitive athletics at a hastily arranged press briefing on Tuesday, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable career in which his personal-best performance transcended medals, becoming a landmark achievement that inspired not only Sri Lanka but the entire region.

‎Yupun Abeykoon’s greatest achievement was becoming the first Sri Lankan and the first South Asian to run sub ten seconds in track and field’s marquee discipline.

‎The 31-year-old said that he leaves the sport having fulfilled his dream while citing the absence of a proper system to reward athletes for winning medals as one of the key reasons behind his decision to retire from competitive athletics.

‎At the time of his retirement his 9.96 feat remains the fifth fastest performance in history in the entire Asian region and he is one of only 11 in the entire Asian region to have accomplished the sub ten seconds mark in 100 metres.

‎Ironically, the announcement of his retirement comes just couple of days ahead of the start of the Commonwealth Games.

‎The sprinter’s greatest championship achievement came at the last edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he won the bronze medal in the men’s 100 metres, ending Sri Lanka’s long wait for a sprint medal at a major multi-sport event. He also represented Sri Lanka at the Tokyo Olympic Games, becoming the country’s lone male track athlete and the first South Asian male sprinter to compete in the Olympic 100m in many year.

‎Abeykoon leaves an indelible mark as the first South Asian athlete to break the 10-second barrier in the men’s 100 metres. On 3 July 2022, he stunned the athletics world by clocking 9.96 seconds at the Résisprint International meet in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, rewriting history for Sri Lanka and the entire South Asian region. He also established national records in the 100m (9.96s), 200m (20.37s) and indoor 60m, while setting the Asian 150m record of 15.16 seconds.

‎Having trained in Italy under coach Claudio Licciardello, Abeykoon transformed himself into one of Asia’s fastest men and became a regular competitor on the European circuit, including Diamond League meetings. His success inspired Sri Lankan sprinters and demonstrated that athletes from the region could compete with the world’s elite.

‎During the press conferance held online, Abeykoon thanked his parformer schools, the SLEME the regiment in Sri Lanka Army he represented, Palitha Fernando, the former president of Sri Lanka Athletics and Sri Lanka Cricket among others, his coaching team in Italy and the millions of Sri Lankans who supported him throughout his journey.

‎While expressing pride in his accomplishments, he also indicated that his retirement was not an easy decision and suggested that broader issues, specially lack of professionalism within Sri Lankan athletics had contributed to his choice.

‎Although his competitive career has come to an end, Yupun Abeykoon’s legacy is secure. As the fastest man Sri Lanka has ever produced and the first South Asian to run under 10 seconds, he redefined the limits of sprinting in the region and inspired countless young athletes to dream beyond perceived barriers. His achievements will remain a benchmark in Sri Lankan athletics for generations to come.

by Reemus Fernando

Sports

Abans Group defeat Commercial Bank by three wickets

Published

4 hours ago

2026/07/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

HONOUR –MCA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2026

Abans Group defeated Commercial Bank by three wickets and registered their first win in the Honour – MCA Champions League 2026 cricket tournament played at the MCA ground on Sunday.

Electing to bat first, Commercial Bank were restricted to 135 by the Abans group bowlers led by Kaveesha Dulanjana [3-28] and Mihiranga Fernando with figures of [7-2-08-1] after which in the chase, Tharusha Fernando was unbeaten on 36 while Dilshan de Zoysa, Akeel Inham and Kavishka Gihan had 20 plus scores against their names to reach the win need with three wickets in hand in the 32nd over.

SCORES:

Commercial Bank

135/10 in 45.2 overs [Lasith Nanayakkara 21; Kaveesha Dulanjana 3-28, Mihiranga Fernando 1-08]

Abans Group

137/7 in 31.4 overs [Tharusha Fernando 36*; Dushean Gamage 3-25, Pasindu Denipitiya 3-40]