Sports
Sajith wants Nilani to gain maximum for future success
World Athletics Championships
by Reemus Fernando
Expectations are not high when Nilani Ratnayake competes in the heats of the women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase on day two of the World Athletics Championships in Oregon on Saturday but her coach Sajith Jayalal believes that the diehard distance runner has the opportunity to lay the foundation for future success at this discipline dominated by Kenyans. Ratnayake who improved her national record to 9:40.24 seconds in April had only herself to compete against during this year and her most recent best of 9:46.39 is some 30 seconds behind the seasonal best feats of the top 16 athletes taking part in this competition.
With the 31-year-old also set to compete at this month’s Commonwealth Games, Jayalal said that he wanted his athlete to make the most of the World event to lay a strong foundation to produce her best at the Commonwealth Games.
“It will be a tough ask for her to qualify from the heats as she has not competed against a strong field during this year. She certainly has the potential to run her personal best here,” said Jayalal in an interview with The Island on Friday.
“What I want her is to gain the maximum from this opportunity so that she would be ready for the challenge in the UK,” Jayalal said.
The only Sri Lankan woman to have run the 3,000 metres steeplechase in under 10 minutes, Ratnayake has improved the national record four times since 2015. She first ran the event in under 10 minutes in 2018 when she won the national championship title in a time of 9:46.76 seconds.
In April she won her ninth national championship title in the steeplechase. She first took the title from former champion Eranga Dulakshi in 2013. She has remained unbeaten since 2015, winning eight national titles in a row.
One of the top ten Asians this season her top regional performance came when she almost won a medal at the Asian Athletics Championships in Doha in 2019. A medal looked certain for Ratnayake when she entered the final straight of the 3000 metres steeplechase final with just two athletes ahead of her in Doha. But she tumbled at the final barrier to finish just outside the podium.In the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, the highest major multi-sports event that she has taken part in, Ratnayake finished sixth in a time of 9:54.65 seconds.
Last year, she was the front runner in the race to secure a spot at the Tokyo Olympics but the lack of competition opportunities to improve her rankings disappointed her as she finished just outside the required ranking position at the end of the qualifying period. The Sri Lanka Army athlete will become the first Sri Lankan steeplechaser to take part in a World Championships when she competes in the heats on Saturday.
The remainder of the tenth edition of the PSL has been moved to the UAE amid escalating border tensions between Pakistan and India. The PCB has said that the dates and venues of the remaining eight games in the PSL 2025 season would be officially confirmed in due course.
On Thursday, Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi were due to play a game at the Rawalpindi Stadium, which was rescheduled following an emergency meeting. At the meeting, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with overseas players in the league, who overwhelmingly expressed a desire to relocate the league to the UAE.
ESPNcricinfo understands that foreign players are already on their way out of Pakistan to the UAE, where the rest of the league will be played. It is likely to be several days before the next game is played as the PCB works out which venues to play the games at.
The original schedule would have seen four of the remaining games in Rawalpindi, one in Multan, and the final three in Lahore. An earlier update from the PCB had said the league would be rescheduled, but did not confirm at the time it would be taken out of Pakistan, with Karachi considered a likely option.
The PSL, now in its tenth season, is familiar with the UAE, having started there back in 2016. It was played there in full – barring the PSL 2017 final – for the first two seasons. Part of season six, in 2021, also had to be played in the UAE because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Any delays to the PSL are likely to impact Pakistan’s international calendar, too. Bangladesh are due to arrive in Pakistan three days after the PSL final, originally slated for May 18, with the first of five T20Is to begin on May 25 in Faisalabad. The PCB told ESPNcricinfo that no decision had yet been taken on the fate of that series.
(Cricinfo)
Bangladesh Under 19s won the six-match Youth ODI series 3-2 after the final Youth ODI against Sri Lanka Under 19s ended without a result due to rain at the Colts ground on Thursday.
Sri Lanka came to the final match with the hope of leveling the series but rain prevented a full match.
Deciding to bat first, the visitors were 188 for three wickets in the 40th over when rain prevented further play.
Skipper Azizul Hakim led Bangladesh with 94 runs inclusive of seven fours and two sixes. For the hosts, Tharusha Navodya, Kugathas Mathulan and Himal Ravihansa took a wicket each.
Sri Lanka Under 19s won the opening encounter by a big margin but three consecutive defeats thereafter saw the visitors take command. Sri Lanka Under 19s bounced back in the penultimate match to keep alive the series but rain spoilt their plans in the final encounter.
110 Vision Care Colombo Championships
Apna Perera will meet Ashen Silva in the men’s singles final on Saturday after the duo won their semi-final matches of the 110th Vision Care Colombo Championships continued at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts on Thursday.
Apna Perera beat Iran Hussain 6-4, 6-1 in his semi-final while Ashen Silva beat Mayooran Kubheran 6-1, 6-0.
PSL moved to UAE amid India-Pakistan tensions
Bell 212 helicopter crashes into Maduru Oya reservoir
Heat index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts
-
Opinion5 days agoRemembering Dr. Samuel Mathew: A Heart that Healed Countless Lives
-
Business3 days agoAitken Spence Travels continues its leadership as the only Travelife-Certified DMC in Sri Lanka
-
Business3 days agoLinearSix and InsureMO® expand partnership
-
Latest News2 days agoNPP win Maharagama Urban Council
-
Features5 days agoTrump’s economic missiles are boomeranging
-
Latest News5 days agoThe Heat index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern, Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Monaragala and Hambantota districts.
-
Business2 days agoNDB Bank partners with Bishop’s College to launch NDB Pixel awareness
-
Sports2 days agoDamsiluni, Buwindu win Under 14 tennis titles