Sports
Aruna in race to recover before Asian Championships
Sprinter Aruna Dharshana who is undergoing treatments for an injury he sustained during the World Relays, is racing against time to recover for the Asian Athletics Championships which will be held in South Korea later this month.
The 400 metres specialist is one of the two sprinters slated to compete in the one lap race. He is also a key member of the men’s 4×400 metres and 4×400 metres mixed relays alongside Kalinga Kumarage.
“Currently Dharshana is undergoing treatments. We are hopeful that he will recover in time for the Asian Championships,” Dharshana’s coach Asanka Rajakaruna told ‘The Island’.
“Sri Lanka Athletics will conduct a fitness test before the Asian Championships. Hopefully he will be ready by that time,” said Rajakaruna.
Sri Lanka Athletics earlier said that a fitness test will be held to assess the strength of the 20 strong team selected for the biennial event.
Sri Lanka fielded only a mixed relay team for the recently held World Relays in Guangzhou, China where an injury to Dharshana cost them a chance to achieve a top performance and a probable ticket to the World Championships in Tokyo later this year.
Sri Lanka won a historic gold medal in the men’s 4×400 metres at the last edition of the Asian Athletics Championship in Bangkok Thailand where the team inclusive of Dharshana beat India to the second place with a new championship record time of 03:01.56 seconds.
Kalinga Kumarage who did the anchor leg and Dharshana are the only members from that gold winning team selected for the upcoming event.
Dharshana is the only Sri Lankan athlete to have clocked sub 45 seconds in the 400 metres after legendary Sugath Thilakaratne.
Dharshana and Kumarage hold the second and third places respectively in the list of fastest times achieved in the 400 metres by Sri Lankan athletes. Dharshana has a personal best of 44.99 seconds achieved during the last Olympic games.
by Reemus Fernando
Gaby Lewis has been rested for Ireland’s upcoming T20I tri-series against Pakistan and West Indies at home in Clontarf as she recovers from a recent leg injury but has been named captain – for the first time at a global event – for the T20 World Cup in June-July in England.
Orla Prendergast, the vice-captain for the World Cup, will lead the side in the tri-series in Lewis’ absence. No vice-captain has been named for the tri-series.
In terms of ins and outs, Jane Maguire, the right-arm medium pacer, has been ruled out of contention with an injury, but her sister Aimee Maguire, the left-arm orthodox spinner, has returned from her own injury and has been included in both squads. Apart from the missing Lewis, there are no changes from the squad for the tri-series, which is a 14-member line-up, for the World Cup.
At the T20 World Cup, Ireland have been grouped with tournament hosts England, defending champions New Zealand, Scotland, Sri Lanka and past winners West Indies.
Ireland are ranked ninth in the format, ahead of only Scotland (11th) among the teams in their group, and will start their World Cup campaign on the second day of competition, against Scotland in Manchester.
Ireland were most recently in action at the T20 World Cup qualifiers played in Nepal in January-February this year, and finished second to Bangladesh.
Lewis’ fitness will be key for Ireland at the World Cup, with her being their top-ranked batter, currently at joint-14th on the ICC T20I rankings. She was also the top run getter at the qualifiers with 276 runs in seven innings, scoring her runs at a strike rate of 119.48.
Prendergast is the next best at No. 26, followed by Amy Hunter at No. 29. Prendergast is also the seventh-ranked allrounder in women’s T20Is.
Ireland squad for women’s T20 World Cup
Gaby Lewis (capt), Orla Prendergast (vice-capt), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Laura Delany, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Aimee Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Rebecca Stokell
Ireland squad for tri-series against Pakistan and West Indies
Orla Prendergast (capt), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Laura Delany, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Aimee Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Rebecca Stokell
[Cricinfo]
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has issued a statement approving the members nominated for the new Selection Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
The appointments have been made by the Sports Minister in accordance with the powers vested under Section 39 (1) of the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973 and the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2437/24 dated May 21, 2025.
The members of the new selection committee are:
Kapila Wijegunawardena – Chairman
Amal Silva – Member
Brendon Kuruppu – Member
Waruna Waragoda – Member
Vanessa De Silva – Member
PM meets academic experts from the British Council
Gaby Lewis to lead Ireland at T20 World Cup
PM meets Sri Lankan community living in London
Kapila Wijegunawardena to head SLC’s new selection committee
Afghanistan refugee women’s team set for England tour under ECB initiative
DR Congo cancels World Cup training camp over Ebola outbreak
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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