All-Island Schools Games Athletics Championships  

by Reemus Fernando  

The All-Island Schools Games, Sir John Tarbat Athletics Championship and the Junior National Athletics Championship were the first stepping stones in Tharushi Karunaratne’s remarkable journey to the Asian Games gold medal. When she started her record-breaking spree competing in the Under 16 age category it was evident that she was being groomed for greatness. Four years after breaking the Under 16 girls’ 800 metres meet record, the athlete trained by Susantha Fernando ended the country’s gold medal drought at the 2023 Asian Games.

Yesterday, Tharushi Abisheka of Wickramabahu National School, Gampola shattered Karunaratne’s Under 16 girls’ 800 metres meet record at the All-Island Schools Games as she took two seconds off the 2019 mark to win in a time of 2:12.78 seconds at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

Incidentally, Abisheka is trained by Buddhika Nuwan, who himself was trained by Susantha Fernando. It was not the first record that Abisheka shattered. Last month, she took under her belt the Sir John Tarbat Senior Championship Under 16, 800 metres record which too was held by Karunaratne.

It will be interesting to watch her progress in the 800 metres during the next four years as she has the mark set by an Asian Games gold medallist to look up to.

Abisheka was not the only athlete to shatter meet records in the 800 metres as Shavindu Avishka of Dammissara National School, Nattandiya created a new mark in the Under 16 boys’ 800 metres. Avishka held off the challenge posed by Maris Stella’s Sahas Fonseka and Lyceum International’s Rehan Perera in a thrilling tape finish as he became the first athlete to break the two minutes barrier in the discipline in this age category in the history of these championships.  Fonseka and Perera too bettered the previous meet record.

On the penultimate day where three age category 800 metres finals were conducted, Tharushi Karunaratne’s absence in the Under 20 girls’ 800 metres was compensated by Sanduni Lakshani (116) and Dinithi Samarakoon who won the gold and silver for Ratnayake Central.

Weerakeppetipola Central, Akuramboda athlete Dineth Liyanage bagged his second gold in a scintillating tape finish as he stopped the clock at 1:56.11 seconds in the Under 18 boys’ 800 metres.  R.M.H.P. Samarakoon of Meegahakiula National School (Uva-  1:56.16 secs) and Kalana Oshada Jayamanna of St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena  (1:56.64 secs) finished second and third respectively.

Asian Junior Championship medallist Malith Yasiru of Kahawatta Central established a new meet record in the Under 20 boys’ triple jump with a feat of 15.93 metres. In the Under 16 boys’ high jump, Tharusha Dinushan Mendis of Lyceum International School, Wattala cleared 1.95 metres to create a new meet record.