Sports
Big haul of medals for SL at South Asian Athletic Championship
Sri Lanka concluded the South Asian Athletics Championship in second position of the medals table with a tally of 40 medals including 16 golds in Ranchi, India on Sunday.
Shafiya Yamick’s 200 metres triumph, which earned her the third gold of the meet and the men’s 4×400 metres relay victory (3:05.12secs) capped a memmorable championship for Sri Lanka.
It was a huge opportunity for both the seasoned campaigners and the up and coming athletes including several schools athletes at the end of a long season.
The final day saw several athletes producing outstanding performances for Sri Lanka.
Yamick followed up her 100m and 4×100 metres relay victories by winning the 200 metres in a new meet record feat of 23.58 seconds, which is the fifth fastest time ever by a Sri Lankan.
Madushani Herath bagged her second gold of the meet when she delivered a stellar performance in the women’s long jump. She cleared a distance of 6.23 metres. She won the triple jump gold (13.36m) earlier in the meet.
Undergraduate of Kelaniya University, Rasara Wijesuriya returned a time of 34:39.95 seconds to win gold in the women’s 10,000 metres.
Javelin queen, Dilhani Lekamge delivered her seasonal best throw of 60.14 metres to win gold in the javelin.
While Rumesh Tharanga and Sumedha Ranasinghe shared the gold and silver in the men’s javelin throw, Harsha Karunaratne won the 800m gold in a time of 1:51.96 seconds. Tharanga got recognision for his achievement im the javelin throw.
In the women’s high jump, Pehansa Gamage won the silver with a feat of 1.74 metres.
Of the school athletes, Matara Central runner Takshima Nuhansa’s feat of 2:06.51 seconds to win silver in the women’s 800 metres stoodout. So was the achievement of Ayomal Akalanka who won silver in the men’s 400 metres hurdles.
While the women’s 4×400 metres team settled for silver behind India, the men’s relay team inclusive of Omel Sashintha, Ayomal Akalanka, Kalhara Indupa, and Kalinga Kumarage delivered a superb display to win gold.
With Pakistan not taking part in the championship, hosts India led the medals table with a tally of 58 medals including 20 golds.
The hosts did not field their best athletes for the three day event and Sri Lanka were benificiaries of their absence in some events.
To their credit, the athletes who won medals did well given the circumstances as, most of the athletes arrived in the host city after spending over ten hours in transit. (RF)
Oman made a couple of changes in the last two fixtures without success. Shakeel Ahmed went in and out of the side in the three games, but picked three wickets against Ireland and should keep his place. Jatinder might look at giving top-order batter Karan Sonavale another go.
[Cricbuzz]
Zimbabwe marched into the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup with the swagger of a side that refuses to read the script, completing the group phase unbeaten after a polished six-wicket win over co-hosts Sri Lanka at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on Thursday.
Ranked 11th in the world, the African side have been the tournament’s disruptors-in-chief. Having already sent former champions Australia packing last week, they now added 2014 winners Sri Lanka to their growing list of scalps, underlining that this is no flash in the pan but a team riding a serious wave of momentum.
Chasing 179 on a surface that demanded both muscle and method, Zimbabwe found themselves at crossroads when 65 were needed off the last 36 balls. Enter Sikandar Raza, sleeves rolled up and eyes locked in.
The all-rounder flipped the contest on its head in one decisive over from Dushan Hemantha, plundering 20 runs with two towering sixes and a rasping boundary. In the blink of an eye, the asking rate dipped and Sri Lanka’s shoulders sagged.
Raza and Brian Bennett stitched together a match-defining 69 off 40 deliveries for the third wicket, mixing clean ball-striking with smart running between the wickets. Zimbabwe crossed the line with three balls to spare.
While Raza provided the late fireworks with 45 off 26 balls, peppered with two fours and four sixes, opener Bennett was the glue that held the innings together. His composed 63 off 48 deliveries, studded with eight fours, ensured Zimbabwe never lost sight of the target.
Even when Raza departed with 13 still required from two overs, Sri Lanka sensed a sniff. But Tony Munyonga calmly clubbed Maheesh Theekshana’s first delivery of the final over into the stands, draining the tension from the contest. Fittingly, Bennett sealed the deal with the winning boundary. Raza was named Man of the Match.
It was Zimbabwe’s second-highest successful run chase in T20Is.
Earlier, after opting to bat, Sri Lanka were once again anchored by Pathum Nissanka. Fresh from becoming the tournament’s first centurion earlier in the week, Nissanka produced a polished 62 off 47 balls, bringing up his seventh T20 World Cup half-century, equalling Mahela Jayawardene’s record for the most by a Sri Lankan.
He and Kusal Perera gave the innings early impetus with a brisk 54 off 30 balls for the opening stand before Nissanka added a further 46 in 43 deliveries alongside Kusal Mendis.
Pavan Rathnayake provided the late thrust, clearing the ropes twice in a 44 off 25 balls as Sri Lanka posted a competitive 178.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers, however, ensured it was a chaseable target rather than a daunting one. Veteran leg-spinner Graeme Cremer led the way with 2-27, applying the squeeze in the middle overs, while the towering Blessing Muzarabani struck twice to finish with 2-38.
Sri Lanka now turn their attention to a Super Eight showdown against England in Kandy on Sunday, a contest that promises high stakes and little margin for error. Zimbabwe, brimming with belief, head to Bombay to face the West Indies on Monday, no longer the underdogs but a side that has earned its place at the top table.
Yuhansa Peiris is set to meet Aaraa Aasaal Azim of Maldives in the girls’ singles final after emerging victorious in the semi finals of the J30 ITF Junior Week 4 tournament continued in Colombo on Thursday.
She was the only Sri Lankan player reaching the finals as Ganuka Fernando was eliminated in the boys’ semi final.
Semi Final results
Girls
Yuhansa Peiris beat Aarioda of Japan 6-4, 6-1.
Aaraa Aasaal Azim of Maldives beat Chiu Kwan Nina Wang of Hong Kong 4-6, 6-2, 7-6
Asahi Yamazaki of Japan beat Ganuka Fernando 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
Kenshin Sato of Japan beat Eunho Park of Korea 6-3, 6-1
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