Sports
Hirusha breaks record, qualifies for World Junior meet
Hirusha Hashen cleared 7.67 metres to establish a new Sri Lanka junior record in the boys’ long jump as he reached qualifying standards for the upcoming World Junior Championships on day two of the Sri Lanka Athletics conducted 1st Selection Trial continued at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Friday.
Competing against a slight head wind (-0.9) Hashen cleared 7.67 metres to win the competition which had at least two other athletes clearing the seven metres mark. While St. Joseph’s College, Darley Road athlete Pasindu Malshan cleared 7.36 metres to secure the second place, Richmond College, Galle jumper Sandaru Nethsara made a jump of 7.02 metres.
Hashen erased the current national triple jump record holder Shreshan Dananjaya’s junior long jump record established in 2016. Dananjaya had cleared 7.60 metres in 2016.
Former Sidhartha College, Balapitiya and St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya athlete was representing Track Masters at yesterday’s meet. With his impressive performance he has become eligible to represent the country at the Junior World Championships in Cali, Colombia in August. The qualifying standard set for the world event is 7.55 metres.
In the senior category events held yesterday, national steeplechase record holder Nilani Ratnayake, who almost made it to the Tokyo Olympics last year, came close to renewing her national record in the 3,000 metres steeplechase. In an unusually fast performance for a season starter, Ratnayake clocked nine minutes and 47.47 seconds to complete the race. She was just a second slower than her 2018 national record performance.
Olympian Sumedha Ranasinghe registered 78.36 metres as his best throw to win the men’s javelin throw, while Waruna Dayaratne (73.42m) and Sampath Ranasinghe (70.68m) were the only others to clear the 70 metres mark.
In sprints, Rumeshika Ratnayake made a strong return winning the first place in the senior women’s 200 metres in a time of 24.40 seconds, while senior men’s 200 metres was won by Mohamed Safan in a time of 21.04 seconds. Sithum Jayasundara remained unbeaten for the second consecutive day as he won the junior men’s 200 metres to follow up his 400 metres victory on day one. Jayasundara returned a time of 21.67 seconds.
The women’s 800 metres lacked the leading contenders. In their absence N.M.A. Kumari clocked 2:10.28 seconds to win the event. The men’s 800 metres final witnessed a close finish with Harsha Karunaratne edging others to win in a time of 1:53.29 seconds. Kavishka Sri Bandara of Elapatha MV was the winner of the men’s junior 800 metres (1:55.64secs).
Hurdler Roshan Ranatunga, who broke Olympian Mahesh Perera’s long standing national record last year, commenced the year with a 14.13 seconds finish in the men’s 110 metres hurdles heats. In the final he clocked 14.26 seconds to win.
In the women’s 100 metres hurdles Lakshika Sugandhi returned a time of 13.82 seconds to win.
Ratnayake Central Walala won the boys’ and girls’ overall championships at the Central Province Schools Athletics Championship held at Bogambara recently.
Ratnayake Central aggregated 202 points to edge out Trinity College by two points to win the boys title.
Kingswood were a distant third with 81 points.
In the girls category, Ratnayake Central dominated a majority of events to win the title with 245 points.
Girls High School Kandy finished second with 165 points, while Ambagamuwa Central were third with 114 points.
The dominance of Ratnayake Central was evident throughout the event as they accounted for ten of the 32 new meet records established.
Akash Dhananjaya Senavirathne of Theldebiya National School who clocked 48.4 seconds to win the 400 metres won the best athlete award in the boys’ category.
U.M.S. Himashani of Ambagamuwa Central was adjudged the best athlete in the girls category for the outstanding performance in the 800 metres (2:13.3 seconds).
When my good friend Nimal Welgama requested me to pen a few lines about Sir Gary Sobers as I had the privilege of playing for Sri Lanka against the mighty West Indies as they were known then, I was wondering whether I can do justice to this awesome cricketing all rounder.
In this particular game Sir Gary fell short of scoring his usual hundred. Sir Gary had a flair for unique stylishness which no other cricketer matched and it came naturally to him. He wore his shirt open all the way down to the navel perhaps to keep himself cool from the hot weather one encounters when playing cricket.He walked into bat leaning forward slightly with a gait that that had confidence written all over it.I had the good fortune of viewing on a video clip of an innings of 230 plus he made in a Match against Australia against a formidable attack headed by fearsome Dennis Lillee where he tore the the bowling to shreds.This innings was described by probably the greatest batters of all time Sir Donald Bradman as the best innings he has witnessed live.A tribute difficult to ignore. I wish to conclude by saying that Sir Garfield Sobers was an all rounder of exceptional ability which void will be hard to fill.
by Anura Tennekoon ✍️
Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute to lift Spain to their second World Cup title with a 1-0 win im extra time over 10-man Argentina in the final.
Torres’s deserved winner on Sunday came 16 years and eight days after Andres Iniesta also scored in extra time to lift the Spaniards to their first World Championship with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands.
It came on La Roja’s 20th shot in the contest against defending champions Argentina that failed to manage any to that point and struggled to wrest possession away from their superior Iberian opponents.
That was true at even strength and became more difficult when La Albiceleste’s numbers were reduced when Enzo Fernandez’s late challenge on Pau Cubarsi left referee Slavko Vincic no choice but to produce a second caution just before the end of normal time.
Spain remain the only nation ever to win a European Championship and World Cup in successive tournaments, having now done so a second time. They are also the first World Cup champions ever to concede only once across an entire tournament.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina failed to earn a title for the first time in three major tournaments, having also captured the 2021 and 2024 Copa Americas either side of their 2022 World Cup triumph.
The 39-year-old eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi finished the competition with eight goals and four assists, but had little time on the ball in the final until Spain finally took the lead. And he never seriously looked like he would lift his side to another great moment as he has so many times in the last two World Cup cycles.
Emi Martinez made 11 saves for La Albiceleste, who fell short in their bid to be the first consecutive World Cup champions since Brazil won the 1958 and 1962 titles.
What had felt so difficult for the first 105 minutes suddenly looked easy after 37 seconds of play in the second period of extra time.
Pedro Porro curled in an out-swinging cross from the left to the back post, Nico Williams won the header and nodded it back into space, and Torres hammered a half-volley at last past the flailing Martinez.
It was his only goal of the tournament, making him the seventh player to score during a tournament in which his side never trailed.
Asked about his goal, Torres said after the game: “Honestly, I didn’t think too much. I just saw the ball coming to me, and I just shot with the power of all the Spanish people.”
The win made Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, at 65, the oldest coach ever to lead a team to the World Cup title
“We are world champions,” de la Fuente said. “It was together we reached this stage.”
There was some pushing and shoving after the final whistle, which was quickly cleaned up, and Spain commenced their celebration as most Argentina players sat on the turf in disbelief.
Cooler heads prevailed, and Spain’s players lined up minutes later to form an honour guard of sorts for Argentina’s squad to walk through on their way to the stage for the runner-up medals.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni admitted that Spain were the better team.
“They were the better side – that’s the truth – but I’ll cherish the memory of them [his side], of what they achieved, and of the value of making it this far,” Scaloni said.
“We have to place immense value on this, because it takes so much effort.”
(Aljazeera)
Charted Computer Institute of Sri Lanka to be established
Drug Dependent Persons (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act No 54 of 2007 to be amendmend
Mrs. O. T. M. I. Thilakarathne appointed to the Post of Surveyor General
Purchase of 600 buses for intercity / long distance services of the Sri Lanka Transport Board
Protection of Historical, Cultural, and Traditional Intellectual Property related to the Kandy Esala Perahera
Development of roads which are not under the Road Development Authority
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