Sports
Rumesh’s Rome heroics a watershed moment for Sri Lankan Athletics
Sri Lanka’s former national javelin record holders Sachith Maduranga and Waruna Lakshan Dayaratne have hailed Rumesh Tharanga’s historic performance at the Rome Diamond League as a defining moment for Sri Lankan athletics, saying it has shattered long-standing misconceptions about the country’s ability to compete with the world’s best.
Tharanga produced a stunning world-leading throw of 92.62 metres at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea meeting in Rome, setting a new meet record and becoming the first Sri Lankan athlete to win a Diamond League event.
Former national record holder Sachith Maduranga described the achievement as a watershed moment that had broken a number of myths which had prevented Sri Lankan athletes from believing they could excel at the highest international level.
”He has taken the javelin to a totally new level,” Maduranga said in an interview with The Island from Australia.
Reflecting on Tharanga’s early days in the sport, Maduranga recalled the confidence and determination displayed by the athlete from a young age.
”In one of his first encounters with me, he said that he would definitely break my junior record,” Maduranga said.
The former Asian Championships medallist revealed that after Tharanga’s impressive performances as a junior athlete, he strongly encouraged him to seek overseas training opportunities. Maduranga said he, together with a former president of Sri Lanka Athletics, had urged Tharanga to follow a similar path to the one that helped him secure success at the continental level.
However, Tharanga remained committed to working under his long-time coach Tony Prasanna.
”But he insisted that he would continue to train with his coach Tony Prasanna. Now he has proven that the knowledge of his local coach was enough to beat the world. This is phenomenal,” Maduranga said.
Former national record holder Waruna Lakshan Dayaratne also praised Tharanga’s remarkable achievement, joining the growing chorus of admiration for a performance that has elevated Sri Lankan athletics to unprecedented heights.
Tharanga’s Rome triumph has not only rewritten the record books but has also provided compelling evidence that world-class success can be achieved through dedication, talent and high-quality coaching available within Sri Lanka. His achievement is expected to inspire a new generation of athletes to dream bigger and challenge the world’s elite on the global stage. (RF)
The annual rugby encounter between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College, played for the William Weerasinghe Memorial Trophy, is set to take place today (July 11, 2026), at 4:00 PM at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.
The official unveiling of the trophy took place this week at the Dharmaraja College premises with the participation of the Principals of the two schools, teachers-in-charge of sports, coaches, the Rugby teams, and several distinguished guests, including Dharmaraja College Old Boys’ Association President Mahesh Wijetunga, Kingswood College Old Boys’ Association President Muditha Abeykoon,
Text and Pic by SK Samaranayake
The annual rugby encounter between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College, played for the William Weerasinghe Memorial Trophy, is set to take place tomorrow (July 11, 2026), at 4:00 PM at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.
The official unveiling of the trophy took place this week at the Dharmaraja College premises with the participation of the Principals of the two schools, teachers-in-charge of sports, coaches, the Rugby teams, and several distinguished guests, including Dharmaraja College Old Boys’ Association President Mahesh Wijetunga, Kingswood College Old Boys’ Association President Muditha Abeykoon,
by S K SAMARANAYAKE
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele were on target as France surged past Morocco 2-0 to book their place in the World Cup semifinals.
Mbappe curled in his eighth goal of the tournament on 60 minutes on Thursday before Dembele doubled Les Bleus’ lead six minutes later to settle a clinical victory at the Gillette Stadium outside Boston.
The win sends the 2018 champions into a last-four showdown against either Spain or Belgium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday.
African champions Morocco had been tipped to pose a serious threat to France’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final.
But Didier Deschamps’ men were always in control against a limited Morocco side who failed to register a single shot on goal until an 83rd-minute free-kick by Azzedine Ounahi was parried away by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
France, though, struggled to find a breakthrough, and missed the opportunity to take the lead on 28 minutes when Mbappe saw a penalty saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Mbappe had won the penalty after being brought down by Noussair Mazraoui but was forced to wait several minutes before being allowed to take the kick after a protracted VAR check.
Morocco managed to hold out to half-time, but it was always only a matter of time before France’s relentless pressure paid off.
The breakthrough came on the hour mark, with Mbappe bending a brilliant right-foot shot past Bounou from the edge of the area.
Paris Saint-Germain star Dembele made the game safe in the 66th minute, striding forward menacingly from midfield before steering a low finish into the bottom corner.
France now await the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal in Los Angeles between European champions Spain and Belgium.
[Aljazeera]
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