Sri Lanka Athletics has picked a team of twenty athletes inclusive of four relay teams for the upcoming Asian Athletics Championship.

The men’s and women’s 4×400 metres, 4×400 metres mixed relay and men’s 4×100 metres are the realy events taken part by Sri Lanka. Kalinga Kumarage and Aruna Dharshana who were part of the gold winning men’s 4×400 metres team at the last edition are joined by juniors Sadew Rajakaruna, Omel Shashintha and Kalhara Indupa for the Gumi, South Korea event taking place from May 27 to 31.

Experienced campaigners Kalinga and Dharshana will also be part of the mixed relay.

Italy based sprinter Yupun Abeykoon and reigning national 100 metres champion Chamod Yodasinghe will compete in the 100 metres and are joined by Deneth Weeraratne, Merone Wijesinghe and H.D.M.C.B. Dissanayake to form the 4×100 metres relay.

Nadeesha Ramanayake who won the women’s 400 metres at the last edition will feature in the women’s 4×400 metres alongside Sayuri Lakshima, Jayeshi Uththara and Nishendra Fernando and Jithma Wijetunga.

Ananda College Colombo athlete Lesandu Arthavidu will compete in the high jump. His recent performance of 2.22 metres has stood in good stead for the school athlete to be in the senior team.

Sri Lanka will have high hopes on javelin throwers Sumeda Ranasinghe and Rumesh Tharanga who are the leading throwers in Asia this year.

In the women’s category javelin thrower Dilhani Lekamge and long distance runner Rasara Wijesuriya are the other members.

Lekamge won the bronze medal with a Sri Lanka national record performance of 60.93 metres at the last edition. Wijesuriya is in top form after creating records in long distance events. She will compete in both the 5000m and the 10,000 metres.

Tharushi Karunaratne who won the gold medal in the 800 metres is the notable absentee. She is currently studying and training in the USA.

Team

Men’s:

Yupun Abeykoon (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Chamod Yodasinghe (100m, 4x100m), Deneth Weeraratne (4x100m) Merone Wijesinghe(4x100m), H.D.M.C.B. Dissanayake (4x100m),

Kalinga Kumarage(men’s 4x400m, mixed relay), Aruna Dharshana (men’s 4x400m, mixed relay), Sadew Rajakaruna (4x400m), Omel Shashintha (4x400m), Kalhara Indupa (4x400m), Sumeda Ranasinghe (javelin), Rumesh Tharanga (javelin), Lesandu Arthavidu (high jump).

Women’s

Nadeesha Ramanayake (400m, 4x400m, mixed relay), Sayuri Lakshima (4x400m), Nishendra Fernando(4x400m), Jayeshi Uththara (4x400m), Jithma Wijetunga (4x400m), Dilhani Lekamge (javelin), Rasara Wijesuriya(5000m, 10000m).

by Reemus Fernando

Galle secured the country’s premier First Class cricket title – National Super League (NSL) – when they overcame Dambulla on first innings points in the final that concluded at SSC yesterday.

Galle and Dambulla qualified for the final after topping the points table in the league stage and Galle were declared champions after their first innings victory.

Put into bat first, Galle posted 370 thanks to a hundred by Oshada Fernando and Dinesh Chandimal (80) as they shared an 118 run stand for the second wicket. Quick Mohammad Shiraz was the pick of the bowlers finishing with six wickets.

Wicketkeeper Vishad Randkia held Dambulla’s innings together posting a hundred after opener Ron Chandgraguptha had hit 65. Dambulla were bowled out for 313 with Nimsara Atharagalla picking up five wickets.

The fact that Dambulla ended up with a first innings deficit meant that they had to win the game outright to clinch the title.

All what Galle had to do was to bat out time with a bit of bad weather around the corner and that’s exactly what they did to secure the title.

They posted 246 for five with Dinesh Chandimal scoring another half-century in the second innings.

At 162 for five, Dambulla still had an outside chance but Dunith Wellalage and Ramesh Mendis posted unbeaten half-centuries to ensure the title was theirs.

Ramesh Mendis finished as the second highest leading run scorer in the competition with 454 runs followed by Chandimal with 453 runs.