Sports

Winners from different regiments but from the same camp

Published

5 years ago

2020/09/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

Where were they at school level?

by Reemus Fernando

When the Sri Lanka Army’s 55th Road Race concluded at Panagoda on Saturday, distance runners from three different regiments crossed the finish line to clinch the first three medals. Although they were from different units and regiments, they represented one particular ‘camp’. Quite conspicuously the joy of winning was something these champions had not enjoyed at national school level.

The South Asian Games medallist and the men’s category champion Shanmugeshwaran Kumara is from the Artillery Regiment. The second placed veteran Kelum Sampath Gunasekara is from the Sinha Regiment. Sagara Wijewickrama who was placed third is from Gemunu Watch. But what was common was that all three had trained under respected middle and long distance coach Sajith Jayalal.

Not only the first three, but also the fourth and sixth placed athletes were also trained by Jayalal.

Shanmugeshwaran clocked one hour ten minutes and 16 seconds to win. Gunasekara finished nearly 30 seconds after him while Wijewickrama returned a time of one hour eleven minutes and 16 seconds. The fourth placed S.D. Gunasekara was just six seconds behind him.

“Some of them had been directed to me by the Army while I had directed some to the Army so that they could persevere in athletics,” said Sajith Jayalal in an interview with The Island.

Incidentally, Shanmugeshwaran’s potential was identified by Jayalal when he came for training in 2013. Shanmu, as he is lovingly called, left Hatton to find employment in Colombo in 2011 and worked for two years at a car wash at Wellawatta before Jayalal helped him find employment in the Army. What he won on Saturday was the title hat trick following wins at the last two consecutive Road Races of the Army. Under Jayalal’s guidance Shanmugeshwaran graduated to win the silver medal of the 10,000 metres behind India’s Suresh Kumar at the last South Asian Games.

According to Shanmugeshwaran he had not won at school level.

As Jayalal puts it none of the winners on Saturday had won at national level when they were schooling. It is true of many long distance runners who are currently winning at national level. Even last Saturday’s women’s category winner Wathsala Herath (1:25.15 sec) trained by Susantha Fernando had taken up distance running only after leaving school.

“The third placed winner in the men’s category, Sagara Wijewickrama won gold at national level in track and events last year while he had not won at school level either. He had identified his potential in long distance running only after joining the Army.”

While Jayalal should be applauded for guiding the athletes to reach national level, authorities should have a serious look why the country’s schools structure fail in producing distance runners to national level.

There is hardly any encouragement for middle and long distance running at school level. Ministry of Education is careful to limit its engagement with long distance running to the annual race they hold with the support of Nestle Lanka.

Proposals given to encourage distance running at school level are hardly given consideration. In fact the Ministry of Education scrapped the distance relay from its annual Relay Carnival couple of years ago. There was a proposal to conduct a schools cross country championship but the Ministry of Education is still silent on the idea.

The time consuming process of obtaining medical certificates for schools athletes to engage in track events longer than that 1,500 metres has also discouraged principals and masters in charge at schools from fielding athletes for those events.

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Sports

Sri Lanka Under 19s pull off two wickets win against Afghanistan

Published

4 hours ago

2025/12/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka Under 19s scored back to back victories as Mahanama College batsman Chamika Heenatigala anchored the tail with an unbeaten half century to seal two wickets victory over Afghanistan U19s in their second group match of the Under 19 Asia Cup in Dubai on Monday.

‎Chasing 236 runs to win Sri Lanka U19s were eight wickets down for 217 runs in the 48th over but Heenatigala with Rasith Nimsara kept their cool to seal the victory with four balls to spare.

‎In their chase, Viran Chamuditha top scored with 62 runs and put on a first wicket stand of 55 runs with Dimantha Mahavithana (27).

‎While Kavija Gamage (34) and Dulnith Sigera (22) made vital contributions with the bat, Sethmika Senevirathne and Sigera took three wickets each.

‎It was Sri Lanka Youth team’s second consecutive win in the tournament after registering their first win against Nepal.

Sports

Dasun Shanaka’s all-round effort can not hold Vipers

Published

4 hours ago

2025/12/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sam Curran bagged two wickets before scoring an unbeaten fifty. (ILT20)

Dasun Shanaka scored an unbeaten 29 and took two wickets but that could not hold Desert Vipers becoming the first team to seal a playoffs spot as they made it six wins out of six on Sunday (December 14) halfway through the league stage of the ILT20 2025-26.

‎Sam Curran produced an all-round effort as Vipers chased down Dubai Capitals’ 166/4 with five wickets in hand and a ball to spare.

‎Asked to bat, Capitals lost Shayan Jahangir to Naseem Shah in the third over and were kept on a tight leash by the Vipers pacers in the powerplay, reaching 35/1. Gulbadin Naib and Leus du Plooy then added 39 at close to a run-a-ball before Noor Ahmad removed his Afghanistan teammate. Capitals were 68/2 at the halfway mark and in need of momentum through the second half of the innings.

‎Du Plooy injected some urgency with two fours off Lockie Ferguson in an over, followed by a six off Naseem Shah to bring up a 38-ball fifty. But Curran turned the innings again with a double-wicket over, dismissing du Plooy and Rovman Powell off successive deliveries. Jordan Cox and Dasun Shanaka, however, ensured a strong finish, striking six fours and three sixes in an unbroken 72-run stand off 40 balls.

‎Max Holden set the tone in the chase, accounting for six of the seven fours Vipers struck in the powerplay. Fakhar Zaman fell to Mustafizur Rahman in the fifth over but Vipers still reached 50 in six overs. Holden was dismissed for 34 by Haider Ali while attempting a slog sweep, and although Hasan Nawaz struck three sixes, he fell to Waqar Salamkheil to leave Vipers at 88/3 after 10 overs.

‎Dan Lawrence and Curran steadied the chase with a 32-run stand before Lawrence was dismissed by Shanaka for 20 in the 14th over. In the same over, Shimron Hetmyer struck a four and a six and was later reprieved by Shanaka. A couple of tight overs followed, but Vipers remained in control, needing 31 from the final four overs.

‎Curran took them closer with two fours off David Willey and a six off Muhammad Jawadullah. With three required in the final over, Hetmyer fell to Shanaka, but Curran finished the chase with a six off the fourth ball, completing a 33-ball fifty to cap a fine all-round performance.

‎‎Brief scores:

‎Dubai Capitals 166/4 in 20 overs (Leus du Plooy 54, Jordan Cox 49*; Sam Curran 2-17)

‎Desert Vipers

171/5 in 19.4 overs (Sam Curran 52*, Max Holden 34; Dasun Shanaka 2-19)

Sports

Akbar Brothers crowned MBSA A-Division champions

Published

15 hours ago

2025/12/15

Priyan

Akbar Brothers Ltd delivered a commanding all-round performance to clinch the ‘A’ Division title at the 33rd MSBA League Basketball Tournament, defeating defending champions Fairfirst Insurance 70–60 in a thrilling final held recently.

Despite a group stage loss to Fairfirst, a revitalized Akbar Brothers team returned for the final with renewed focus, executing a strategic and disciplined game plan with some excellent passing and defense. Akbar Brothers came in with all guns blazing right from the outset. The first quarter was all Akbar’s that stacked up a 13 to 4 lead. Fairfirst mounted a strong challenge in the second quarter, narrowing the margin, but Akbar’s momentum secured a 35–28 lead at halftime, a margin they maintained with composure through to the final whistle.

Dasun Mendis led the charge for Akbar Brothers with 18 points and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). Chenura De Alwis added 17 points to the tally, while Shehan Udayanga posted a valiant 22 points for Fairfirst. Dimitri Grebe anchored Akbar Brothers with strong leadership, with Hiran Wijesooriya captaining Fairfirst.

Earlier in the tournament Akbar Brothers beat Sampath Bank (82-71), Seylan Bank (91-68) David Pieris (110-78) and Seylan Bank in the semi final (83-60)

The final, held at the Royal College Indoor Sports Complex, saw a vibrant turnout of supporters as Akbar Brothers proved their championship mettle with teamwork, resilience, and clinical execution.

Akbar Brothers – Dimitri Grebe (Captain), Dasun Mendis, Chenura De Alwis, Randil Henry, Taher Akbarally, Selvam Savarimuttu, Franklyn Morais, Sanketha Jayarathne, Jeewan Priyankera , Praneeth Udumalagala, Ajith Kuruppu (Coach), Adrian Gabriel (Asst. Coach)

Fairfirst Insurance – Hiran Wijesooriya (Captain), Shehan Udayanga , Lakshan Kulathunga, Roshan Randima, Arnold Brent, Isuru Perera, Denzil Nicholas, Nimesh Fernando, Keshawa Perera, Charaka Anuhas, Asanga Perera (Coach)