Sports
Thimbirigaskatuwa stun Negombo in battle of Maris Stellas
Negombo Zonal Schools Athletics Championship
Maris Stella College, Thimbirigaskatuwa stunned track and field stronghold Maris Stella College, Negombo in what turned out to be a battle between the two brother schools for the boys’ title at the Negombo Zonal Schools Athletics Championship conducted last week.
The athletes from Thimbirigaskatuwa aggregated 224 points to clinch the boys’ title of the zone for the first time in history as they turned tables on Maris Stella, Negombo who had to settle for the runner up position with 195 points.
For the school from Thimbirigaskatuwa the most outstanding performances were registered by athletes in higher age categories.
In the Under 16 age category, Dinuka Thinesh stood out winning the first place in the 200m (23.1 secs) and the 400m (52 secs). In the 300m hurdles he was placed third with a time of 43.6 secs. Shermin Sasmika won the 800m (2.08.06 secs) and was placed third in the 400m (53.3sec). Lyons Adeesha won two podium places (100m – 2nd 11.3 secs and 200m 3rd – 23.8secs). Hansana Fonseka (Shot Put 1st – 13.93m), Yugath Harshad (High Jump 1st – 1.80m) and Ashen Denuwan (Javeline throw 1st- 51.55m) won maximum points for the school in their respective pet events. Namindu Gimhan (Long Jump 2nd – 6.36m), Ramiru Disen (Long Jump 3rd – 6.06m), Shevan Methusha (High Jump 3rd -1.60m), Thenuk Nethvin (100m hurdle 2nd – 14.2 secs) and Nawum Nichole (Javelin throw 2nd- 50.50m) were the others to excell in that age category.
The Under 18 age category saw Ramiru Nisalitha (1500m 1st – 4:28 secs, 3000m 1st -10: 08 secs) and Deesara Herath (Long Jump 1st- 6.91m, Triple Jump 1st – 14.05m) winning two titles each and brothers Pawan Nethya Sampath (2.05m) and Thushera Nethsara Sampath (1.85m) winning the first and second places respectively in the high jump.
Thiwra Thathsara clocked 14.8 seconds to clinch the 110m hurdles title (400m 3rd- 58.4 secs), while Ashmika Shinal (100m 2nd -10.98 secs, 200m 3rd – 22 secs and 400m 3rd -52.4 secs), Ranidu Induwara (400m hurdles- 60 secs), Senesh Nisal (110m hurdle 3rd- 15.2 secs) and Induwara Sathmin (Triple Jump 2nd- 13.58m, Pole Vault 1st- 3.80m) won podium places.
In the Under 20 age category Thehara Ravishka Fernando won the triple jump (14.20m) and long jump (7.09m) while placing second in the high jump(1.78m). Onel Sejan too won two events (1500m 1st – 4: 34 secs, 5,000m 1st – 17:22 secs). Yohan Madurawala (javelin throw – 1st – 46.34m, pole vault 3rd- 2.50m), Romesh Antonio (javelin throw 2nd – 46.19m), Thenuka Nimnad (shot put 1st – 10.65m, javelin throw 3rd – 44.51m), Dushan Priyanjana (discus throw 2nd – 30.34m), Dilan Thejan (110 hurdle 2nd – 15.7secs, long jump 3rd place – 6.49m, triple jump – 2nd 14.12m), Shan Adithya (pole vault 3rd place – 2.50m), Isuru Shiwanka (shot put 2nd – 9.90m), Nipun Ishanka Fernando (800m 1st – 2:07 secs, 1500m 2nd- 4:36 secs), Yasiru Vidushan (400m hurdle 2nd – 61.2 secs, 800m 2nd 2:09 secs) and Lyon Nimantha (400m hurdle 3rd – 61.7 secs) were the others who won podium places.
Thisen Thinulaka, Minuga Nissankara, Namesh Dilshad and Rinaldo Nimsara in the Under 12 age category and Lishen Pehesara (long jump 3rd – 5.51m) and Rashon Kalubowila (80m Hurdle 2nd- 12.3secs) in the Under 14 category were the others to have made their presence felt.Incidentally, the coaching staff of title winning Maris Stella Thimbirigaskatuwa are inclusive of former athletes of Maris Stella Negombo.
North Korea has cancelled the Pyongyang marathon for unspecified reasons, a tour agency linked to the event has said.
British-owned Koryo Tours, which describes itself as the official partner of the marathon, said on Monday that it had received notice of the cancellation from North Korea’s athletics association.
A message it attributed to the association said the marathon was being cancelled “due to some reasons”.
The annual event was established in 1981 to celebrate the birth of North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il Sung. The 2026 race was set to take place on 5 April.
The message, purportedly from the North Korea athletics association’s general secretary, thanked “all the Elite Marathoners and Amateur Runners of the world who are interested in Pyongyang International Marathon”.
The message gave no further explanation on what the reasons for the cancellation were.
Koryo Tours said it understood the decision was final and had been taken “at a level above the organisers of the event itself”.
It said it would be seeking clarification on the circumstances surrounding the decision.
The tour company added that neither organisers nor event partners were involved in making the decision, and said it recognised “this announcement will be disappointing to many runners who had already registered or were planning to participate”.
Koryo Tours, based in Beijing, China, offers several marathon packages to foreigners, departing from Beijing, Shanghai and Shenyang.
Packages start from €2,190 ($2,529; £1,894) for 2.5 nights in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, including a marathon place and “highlights” of the capital and tickets were sold out this year, according to the agency’s website.
It said all deposits paid will be returned and runners have the option to retain their deposit for a future event or North Korea tour.
A date for the 2027 marathon has not yet been set.
The event had only returned last year after it was suspended for five consecutive years due to the Covid pandemic.
It is open to both amateur and some professional athletes and offers several race distances – 5km (3.1 miles), 10km (6.2 miles), half marathon (21.1km; 13.1 miles) or full marathon (42.2km; 26.2 miles).
[BBC]
The white ball series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, scheduled to be held in the UAE from March 13 to 25, is likely to be postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing military conflict in West Asia.
While neither ACB nor SLC has issued an official statement, ESPNcricinfo has learned that both boards have agreed the series cannot take place in the UAE, keeping the ongoing crisis in mind. While both boards are still discussing alternatives, the bilateral series is unlikely to be shifted elsewhere due to logistical challenges.
The series comprising six white-ball matches was scheduled to start on March 13 starting with the three T20Is. The T20I leg was scheduled in Sharjah – on March 13, 15 and 17 – while the three ODIs were scheduled in Dubai on March 20, 22 and 25.
The series was set to be Afghanistan’s first under Ibrahim Zadran’s leadership, with the opener taking over the reins from Rashid Khan after a group-stage exit in the World Cup.
Last week, six matches of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in Nepal involving Oman, UAE and the hosts were postponed because of the conflict.
The travel plans of several teams that were in India and Sri Lanka for the men’s T20 World Cup have also been disrupted owing to airspaces being closed or limited in West Asia.
Despite being knocked out over the last week, the contingents from West Indies and South Africa have been stuck in Kolkata, and received clarity only on Sunday, that they will be flying out on Tuesday.
[Cricinfo]
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has officially announced the appointment of Gary Kirsten as the new head coach of the men’s national team. Kirsten, who comes with a hefty coaching pedigree, will take over the reins on April 15 on a two-year contract that runs until April 14 2028.
The former South Africa batter will take over a Sri Lankan side seeking stability and a blueprint for consistency in the modern game. While outgoing head coach Sanath Jayasuriya was undoubtedly a household name, Kirsten is without question the most blockbuster appointment to the position in Sri Lanka’s history.
He famously guided India to their 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup victory. And under his tenure, South Africa reached the top of the Test rankings. Most recently, he served as a consultant for Namibia during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
As a player, Kirsten was a stalwart for South Africa, amassing over 14,000 international runs and becoming the first from his country to reach 100 Test matches.
Kirsten hopes to join a long line of non-Sri Lankan coaches who have significantly influenced the nation’s cricketing history. This tradition includes Dav Whatmore, who orchestrated the historic 1996 World Cup win; Tom Moody and Trevor Bayliss, who led the team to World Cup finals in 2007 and 2011; and Chris Silverwood, the most recent foreign head coach before Sanath Jayasuriya took over as interim and then full-time coach in late 2024.
The appointment comes at a critical juncture following the team’s limp exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup, and marks a pointed departure from the post-2024 World Cup pivot towards coaches with more local knowledge.
Jayasuriya, who officially resigned as head coach following the tournament’s conclusion, will now lead the High Performance Centre. Sri Lanka enjoyed historic home successes in 2024 under his leadership – including a first ODI series win against India in 27 years – but their recent World Cup campaign ended in the Super Eight after disappointing losses to England and New Zealand.
Sri Lanka’s campaign was marked by competing philosophies, with batters in particular seemingly lacking clarity in their roles. SLC, in a media release, stated that the “appointment of the new head coach is part of Sri Lanka Cricket’s efforts to revamp the structure of the National High Performance Center,” and Kirsten will first and foremost be tasked with establishing a clear path to success.
With the 2027 men’s ODI World Cup set to be held in his native South Africa, alongside Namibia and Zimbabwe, Kirsten’s intimate knowledge of those conditions would have also likely played a role in his hire, but SLC will be hoping that his impact will be longer lasting and help build a winning culture similar to those he helped established in India and South Africa.
[Cricinfo]
Prime Minister on official visit to Manila, Philippines
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure women’s rights are realized in everyday Life, and are not confined merely to Laws – PM
North Korea cancels Pyongyang Marathon for ‘some reasons’
Canadian officials rescue 23 people who floated away on ice sheet
India offered sanctuary to Iranian ship three days before US sank it
Afghanistan-Sri Lanka white-ball series set to be postponed due to West Asia conflict
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News4 days agoUniversity of Wolverhampton confirms Ranil was officially invited
-
News5 days agoLegal experts decry move to demolish STC dining hall
-
News4 days agoFemale lawyer given 12 years RI for preparing forged deeds for Borella land
-
News3 days agoPeradeniya Uni issues alert over leopards in its premises
-
Business5 days agoCabinet nod for the removal of Cess tax imposed on imported good
-
News4 days agoLibrary crisis hits Pera university
-
News3 days agoWife raises alarm over Sallay’s detention under PTA
-
Business6 days agoWar in Middle East sends shockwaves through Sri Lanka’s export sector