Sports

Madushani deserves a big break

Published

1 year ago

2025/06/29

Madushani Herath came within eight centimetres of Vidusha Lakshani’s national record when she cleared 13.58 metres to win the triple jump gold at the Thailand Open Athletics Championship last week. (File Pic)

Madushani Herath achieved her personal best performances as she continued her steady progress to win throughly deserving golds at the Thailand Open Athletics Championships. The time invested for the GCE A/L exam does’t seem to have taken a toll on her athletics prowess as she eased to personal best feats in the triple jump and long jump at her first overseas competition as a senior athlete.

The former Nannapurawa MV, Bibila athlete proved beyond doubt that the promise she had shown as a teenager was not a fluke. Not many athletes who show promise as teenagers continue track and field sports after leaving school. While gradual drop in performances force some athletes to leave sports when they reach higher age categories some simply give up sports to choose other paths.

As a teenager Madushani kept a fine balance between sports and education. As a result she is on the cusps of commencing university education. She is looking forward to pursuing a management degree according to her coach Krishantha Kumara. The athlete and the coach have planned to commence training in Colombo so that she will be able to continue both sports and higher education.

Madushani, like many top athletes, is a beneficiary of both MAS Holding and Sports Ministry funding. “She deserves support of greater proportions as she has emerged as one of the promising athletes,” says an analyst.

The challenges she is expected to encounter as an undergraduate cum elite athlete are many. Unlike her predecessor and current national record holder in the triple jumper, Vidusha Lakshani, she has decided to pursue both higher education and track and field.

Lakshani was 22 when she established the current national record in triple jump in 2019. Madushani was just eight centimetres behind the national record mark when the 20-year-old cleared 13.58 metres in Thailand last week.

Analysts consider Madusani as the closest contender to Lakshani’s national record. Her progression during the last five years bear witness to her potential (as shown in the table). Lakshani became a beneficiary of the Olympic Solidarity fund following a series of impressive performances. It is high time the authorities reopen the elite pool for high performance athletes so that the likes of Madushani could excel at events more competitive than the Thailand Open.

by Reemus Fernando ✍️

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Sports

Shaheen Shah Afridi granted NOC to play for Kandy Royals in LPL

Published

48 mins ago

2026/07/15

Sahan Weerasooriya

Shaheen Shah Afridi has been granted an NOC to participate in LPL

Shaheen Shah Afridi is set to make his maiden appearance in the Lanka Premier League, which begins this week. The PCB confirmed to Cricinfo that the fast bowler has been granted an NOC to participate in the tournament. He will play for Kandy Royals.

Afridi – earlier this month – was omitted from Pakistan’s squads for the Tests against West Indies and England after an indifferent run in the format. The 26-year-old has of late been perceived as more inclined towards white-ball cricket, with Aaqib Javed, Pakistan selector and high-performance director, saying earlier this month that “a player has to pick which format he wants to play”. The Tests against the West Indies clash with the LPL.

Afridi was recently named in the ongoing white-ball camp at the National Cricket Academy, despite the red-ball camp being conducted simultaneously and was left out of the second Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet.

Afridi was named Pakistan’s ODI captain last year and led Pakistan to a 2-1 series win over Australia at home last month. He was joint-leading wicket-taker with seven scalps at 12.14 runs apiece alongside left-arm orthodox Arafat Minhas, who debuted in the first of the three ODIs, and Nathan Ellis.

This will be Afridi’s second appearance in an overseas T20 league in the last year. He participated in the most recent BBL, turning out for Brisbane Heat. He had a forgettable run, however, taking only two wickets at an average of 76.50 in four matches. However, he remains in demand on the T20 circuit; Afridi has 362 wickets at 20.99 and an economy rate of 7.97. No Pakistan bowler has more than his 136 wickets in T20Is, which have come at an average of 21.35 and an economy of 7.83.

The LPL will run from July 17 until August 8. Kandy Royals play their first match against Dambulla Sixers on July 18.

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Thishya and Kashya win Under-12 singles titles

Published

49 mins ago

2026/07/15

Sahan Weerasooriya

Kashya Seneviratne / Thishya Banagala (Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

Colombo Championships

Thishya Banagala of Visakha Vidyalaya and Kashya Seneviratne of Colombo International School emerged as the girls’ and boys’ Under-12 champions respectively at the Vision Care Colombo Championship 2026, played on the clay courts of the Sri Lanka Tennis Association.

‎Banagala produced a series of commanding performances on her way to the girls’ title. She sealed the championship with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory over Thiyansa de Silva in the final.

‎The boys’ final provided a far sterner challenge as Kashya Seneviratne overcame Abhine Induwara in an entertaining three-set battle. After taking the opening set 6-2, Seneviratne dropped the second set 4-6 before holding his nerve to win the deciding match tie-break 10-4 and secure the championship.‎

Sports

Wins for Sampath Bank and Ceylinco General Insurance last weekend

Published

50 mins ago

2026/07/15

Sahan Weerasooriya

HONOUR – MCA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2026

Sampath Bank and Ceylinco General Insurance registered convincing wins in the Mercantile Cricket Associations Champions League matches played over the weekend.

‘The 2026 edition of the MCA Champions League [formally known as the MCA ‘C’ League] is being powered by ‘HONOUR’ mobile phones.

Last week’s matches were played at the Mercantile Association Grounds

On Saturday,

Sampath Bank defeat LOLC Holdings by 64 runs

Sampath Bank

173/10 in 48 overs [Sajith Kotuwegoda 66; Thilanga Udeshana 2-40, Vinud Madushan 3-26, Sayuru Udukumbura 2-27]

LOLC Holdings

109/10 in 26 overs [Danushka Udara 26*; Dulaj Ashen 2-14, Dileepa Jayalath 2-37, Sithija Silva 2-12, Chamath Dilsara 3-29]

On Sunday,

Ceylinco General Insurance overcome Commercial Bank by 2 wickets

Commercial Bank

167/10 in 47.2 overs [Gimhana Ashirwada 60; Sandaru Dias 4-21, Yohan Edirisinghe 2-24]