Sri Lanka to field 18 member team for Asian Junior Athletics Championships

Akalanka, Kavinda to be included in the junior team

by Reemus Fernando

Commonwealth Youth Games medallist Ayomal Akalanka and triple jumper Hasitha Kavinda Dissanayake are likely to be included in the Sri Lanka junior team for the Asian Junior Athletics Championship subject to a fitness test.

Sri Lanka Athletics has sought Sports Ministry approval to field a team of 18 athletes for the biennial event to be held from April 23 to 26 in Dubai.

The five athletes who reached locally set qualifying standards for individual disciplines at the Selection Trial early this month will be joined by Akalanka and Dissanayake for individual events and 11 others, who will form four relay teams.

A senior official of SLA said that both Akalanka and Dissanayake have recent performances which merit selection to the team.

Nannapurawa MV, Bibila athlete Madushani Herath, Wickramabahu National School, Gampola runner Tharushi Abisheka, Ananda College sprinter Meron Wijesinghe and Lyceum International Wattala high jumpers Tharusha Mendis and Deneth Anuhas were the athletes who reached qualifying standards at the selection trial.

The selectors have picked four athletes each for the girls’ and boys’ 4×400 metres relays and three sprinters who competed alongside Meron Wijesinghe in the 100 metres dash to form the boys’ 4×100 metres relay.

The top two athletes in the 4×400 metres boys’ and girls’ relay teams will join to form the 4×400 metres mixed relay.

Boys:

Meron Wijesinghe – 100m (Ananda Colombo)

Tharusha Mendis – high jump (Lyceum Wattala)

Deneth Anuhas – high jump (Lyceum Wattala)

Ayomal Akalanka – 400m hurdles (Ambagamuwa MV)

Hasitha Kavinda Dissanayake – triple jump (Lyceum Gampaha)

Induwara Weeraratne – 4x100m (Leeds Matara)

R. I. Vidushan – 4x100m (Ananda Colombo)

Malith Thamel – 4x100m (De Mazenod Kandana)

Jathya Kirulu – 4x400m (Mahinda Galle)

Theminda Rajapaksha – 4x400m (Maliyadeva Kurunegala)

Hasindu Nathsara – 4x400m (Lumbini Colombo)

J.O.S. Silva – 4x400m (St. Sebastian’s Kandana)

Girls:

Madushani Herath – long jump, triple jump (Nannapurawa MV Bibila)

Tharushi Abisheka – 800m (Wickramabahu NS Gampola)

Nuhasna Kodituwakku – 4x400m (Matara Central)

Jithma Wijetunga – 4x400m (Lyceum Wattala)

Pravindi Dunusinghe – 4x400m (Maliyadeva BV Kurunegala)

Charuni Pramudika – 4x400m (Holy Cross Gampaha)