Sports
Susantha deserves to be in the Asian Games team
by Reemus Fernando
Asian Athletics Championship gold medallist Tharushi Karunaratne is among top medal contenders when Sri Lanka’s track and field team vies to end a long medal drought at the Asian Games which will be held at the Chinese city of Hangzhou from September 23rd to October 8.
Sri Lanka has not won a medal in track and field sports since the men’s 4×400 metres relay quartet of Rohan Pradeep Kumara, Rohitha Pushpakumara, Prasanna Amarasekara and Ashoka Jayasundara and sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe won medals in Qatar Asian Games in 2006.
That medal drought could end with the men’s 4×400 metres, women’s 4×400 metres teams and the likes of Tharushi Karunaratne peaking at the right time. Sprinter Yupun Abeykoon too has produced outstanding performances indicating bright prospects at the quadrennial Games.
The Ratnayake Central, Walala runner Karunaratne is the top medal contender in the women’s category for Sri Lanka at the regional Olympics. But the top contender will not have her coach with her as Susantha Fernando’s name had not been included in the list of officials for the multi sports event.
Over the years the country’s Olympic Committee and the Sports Ministry which finalise teams for Multi Sports events like the Asian Games have drawn flack for including big number of officials to accompany teams on public funds.
It is important that Fernando, who has toiled hard for decades to produce athletes in the calibre of Karunaratne to the national level be included in the team for Asian Games as it is them who make the country’s flag fly high at these games. Karunaratne has the potential to reach qualifying standards for next year’s Olympics as well as she has already touched speeds reserved for elite middle distance runners. Karunaratne’s record breaking performance of 2:00.66 seconds at the recently held Asian Championships deserves special recognition.
When contacted on this regard Sri Lanka Athletics officials said that the sports governing body was ready to make amends if the National Olympic Committee does not have any objections regarding his inclusion.
“The ‘long list’ for the Asian team and the list of officials were finalized in January when we had already included Susantha Fernando for the Asian Junior Athletics Championships. Since he was included in the Junior Asian Championship team we gave priority to others. After Tharushi won (at the Asian Championships) it is a new scenario now. We are willing to include him in the team if Olympic Committee is okay with that,” Saman Kumara the secretary of Sri Lanka Athletics said.
Our efforts to contact the General Secretary of the Olympic Committee Maxwell De Silva on this regard found futile yesterday.
[Cricbuzz]
Former Sri Lanka head coach Mickey Arthur has voiced disappointment over remarks made by Chairman of Selectors Pramodya Wickramasinghe, who last week claimed that Arthur was reluctant to include a young Pathum Nissanka during Sri Lanka’s tour of the Caribbean in 2021.
In his first media briefing, Wickramasinghe said it was he who pushed for Nissanka’s inclusion despite Arthur’s reservations. The former coach has flatly denied the allegation, calling it wide of the mark.
“I am very disappointed with Pramodya’s comments,” Arthur told Telecom Asia Sport. “The right people know exactly how I felt about Pathum. There was never any doubt that he was our future. I don’t want any credit for Pathum’s success. That belongs entirely to his hard work. I simply gave him an opportunity because the talent was impossible to ignore.”
Arthur said Nissanka’s domestic form had left little room for debate. “He was scoring runs for fun and the sheer weight of them made it impossible not to take a look. Once he joined the squad on tour, his attitude and work ethic were truly remarkable. From that moment, there was no doubt this bloke was going places,” Arthur added.
Even before Nissanka’s elevation to the senior side, Arthur had publicly spoken of his admiration for young prospects such as Nissanka and Charith Asalanka, stressing the importance of giving emerging players a long rope. His view was simple: once talent is identified and the attitude checks out, selectors and team management must back those players through thick and thin.
Arthur arrived in Sri Lanka with a formidable résumé, having coached South Africa, Australia and Pakistan. He placed a premium on fitness and fielding and under his watch a team in transition began to show signs of turning the corner. At the end of his tenure, Arthur opted not to renew his contract and instead took up a stint in English county cricket with Derbyshire.
As for Nissanka, he has scarcely put a foot wrong since breaking into the side. There was a Test hundred on debut in the West Indies, followed last year by a match-winning unbeaten century against England at The Oval on a lively seaming pitch. In between, he made history by becoming the first Sri Lankan to score a double hundred in ODIs. Last week, he was snapped up by Delhi Capitals at the IPL auction.
Nissanka is currently ranked third in T20 internationals and is knocking on the door of the top ten in both Tests and ODIs.
73rd National Badminton Championship
Defending champions Viren Nettasinghe and Ranithma Liyanage made a fitting end to their campaigns of the 2025 season, by defending the Men’s and Women’s Open Singles titles as Varangana Jayawardana and Rashmi Mudalige clinched the Women’s Open Doubles title at the 73rd National Badminton Championship, concluded at the S. Thomas’ College Indoor Sports Complex, Mount Lavinia on Wednesday (24).
Viren clinically overcame each of his opponents from the Round of 32, all in straight sets, to reach the final. The country’s top Men’s Singles shuttler continued his form against Rasindu Hendahewa in the final, winning in straight sets to defend the title. Viren defeated Rasindu 21-10 and 21-14 to win his second national title in style.
Ranithma aptly defended her Women’s Open Singles title by recording a comfortable straight sets win against Rashmi Mudalige in an absorbing final that lasted nearly 45 minutes. Though the title decider stretched way longer than anticipated, Ranithma managed to seal the victory by recording set wins of 21-12 and 21-18 to claim the national title for the second year running.
Fourth seed pair Sanuda Ariyasinghe and Thisath Rupathunga created an upset by toppling top seeds Oshamika Karunarathne and Thulith Palliyaguru in a lengthy final that went down to the wire in the Men’s Open Doubles. Sanuda and Thisath won the first set 21-15, but the top pair bounced back to level the game one-all with a 21-18 win. But the gritty pair of Sanuda and Thisath maintained their composure to overcome the favourites 21-15 in the decider and claim the Men’s Open Doubles title.
Varangana Jayawardana and Rashmi Mudalige completed a successful campaign to defend the Women’s Open Doubles title from last year, this time overcoming the aspiring pair of Dilni Ambalangodage and Ranumi Manage in straight sets. Varangana and Rashmi remained unbeaten throughout, as they ended the unblemished run of Dilni and Ranumi with set wins of 21-13 and 21-18.
The Mixed Open Doubles title was claimed by Thulith Palliyaguru and Panchali Adhikari, who battled for 45 minutes to overcome Aashinsa Herath and Rashmi Mudalige 2-1 in the final. After conceding the first set by 12-21, Thulith and Panchali regrouped to claim the next two sets 21-18 and 21-15.
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