Sports
Budding athletes beat odds at chaotic Western Province Schools Athletics Championship
by Reemus Fernando
Royal College hurdler Nadun Bandara and sprinter Jayeshi Uththara of Holy Cross College, Gampaha won the best athlete titles of the boys’ and girls’ categories respectively for their outstanding performances at the Western Province Schools Athletics Championship which concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Wednesday.
The four day event, which was criticized by many, including Olympian and Asian Games medallist Damayanthi Dharsha, for its highly disorganized nature, saw budding athletes beating odds to create a number of meet records.
Almost all track events of the meet were conducted behind schedule forcing athletes to endure undue delays after warming up to face the starters orders. On the final day yesterday, even though there were only 4×400 metres relay heats and finals and 100 metres finals, officials failed to commence the events on schedule. Most of the 4×400 metres relay heats got delayed by two hours.
In a cost cutting measure the organisers also did not award medals for the winners.
On such a backdrop young athletes accounted for over a dozen new meet records in the top three age categories alone.
Hurdler Bandara, who represented Sri Lanka at the recently held World Junior Championships in Cali, Colombia, was one of the standout performers as he clocked 14.1 seconds to create a new meet record in the Under 20 boys’ 110 metres hurdles. He won the race for the best athlete award ahead of Ananda Sastralaya, Mathugama sprinter Isuru Kaushalya whose record breaking feat of 47.4 seconds in the Under 20 400 metres was just 31 points behind that of the Royalist.
The record breaking 17.31 metres effort of shot putter Jayavi Ranhinda of Royal College, Panadura in the Under 18 discipline earned him the best athlete title in his age category.
In the corresponding girls’ category, Shenari Wijetunga of Ave Maria Convent, Negombo produced an outstanding feat winning all three sprint events (100m-12.4 secs, 200m-25.5m). Her 58.4 seconds feat in the 400 metres was adjudged the best in that category.
Lyceum International, Wattala jumper Tharusha Mendis who cleared 1.89 metres to win the Under 16 boys’ high jump was adjudged the best athlete in that age category, while St. Lawrence’s, Wellawatta jumper Oshini Kodikara bagged the girls’ title for her feat of 5.54 metres in the long jump.
Sprinters Binal Gunaratne and Tharini Nimarina won the titles for their performances in the Under 14 boys’ and girls’ 80 metres.
The overall boys’ and girls’ titles of the championship were won by Lyceum Wattala. They aggregated 182 and 206 points in the two respective categories.
Ave Maria Convent with 116 points were the runners up to Lyceum in the girls’ category, while Holy Cross, Gampaha (98), Newstead Girls School (70) and Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya finished behind them.
St. Peter’s had an aggregate of 149 points to finish second behind Lyceum. Maris Stella finished third with 96 points. St. Benedict’s, who were the champions at the recently held Colombo Zonal meet finished fourth with 88 points.
Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa won the toss and asked South Africa to bat in their World Cup opener in Ahmedabad.
South Africa have opted for a pace-heavy attack. Keshav Maharaj slots in as their only spinner, alongside the speedy quartet of Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. Tristan Stubbs also begins the tournament at the No. 6 spot – a position Jason Smith had occupied in their last T20I, while Stubbs had slid down to No. 7. Smith is in the World Cup squad but did not find a spot in South Africa’s starting eleven.
South Africa’s pace is expected to get the most out of a characteristically flat Ahmedabad black-soil pitch. But first, their batters will have a hit in a game they begin as overwhelming favourites against Canada, who are their second World Cup.
Canada’s new captain, Bajwa, will lead the side at a global tournament for the first time. He also slots in at the top of the order, alongside Yuvraj Samra, and their batting power will be key to their hopes of causing a massive upset.
Canada have lost both their warm-up games – to Italy and Nepal – but should their batters come off on a friendly pitch, South Africa will look to have the added insurance of a few more runs in the bank before dew takes over when Canada begin their chase at night.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (capt), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
Canada: Dilpreet Bajwa (capt), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva, Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel
(Cricinfo)
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza decided to field first against Oman in the men’s T20 World Cup match at the SSC in Colombo. Both teams were pleased to arrive in Sri Lanka early to get themselves attuned to the conditions.
Zimbabwe have Blessing Muzarabani back in the squad after he missed the tri-series in Pakistan in November.
Oman, meanwhile, include 44-year-old Aaamir Kaleem the oldest player in the tournament – after he came into the side in place of Hasnain Shah, who was injured after the squad was named.
Zimbabwe return to the tournament after missing out on the previous edition in West Indies and the United States of America. They had made it to the Super 12s of the 2022 T20 World Cup but failed to progress through the qualifiers for the 2024 tournament. They completed qualification alongside Namibia; Brian Bennett was the tournament’s top run-scorer, while Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava were among the leading wicket-takers.
Zimbabwe are bolstered by the return of Graeme Cremer, whose November 2025 comeback marked the longest gap between T20I appearances.
Oman are one of three qualifiers from the Asia-Pacific region, alongside Nepal and the UAE. They have previously appeared in the 2016, 2021, and 2024 editions of the T20 World Cup.
Oman: Jatinder Singh (capt), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Jiten Ramanandi, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Sufyan Mehmood, Nadeem Khan, Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmad
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Myers, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sikandar Raza (capt), Ryan Burl, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
Scotland may have suffered a blip the last time they faced Italy in a T20I but ensured they picked up the first points of their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign after a dominant performance at Eden Gardens. George Munsey’s 54-ball 84, supported by cameos from Brandon McMullen and Michael Leask, followed by Leask’s four-wicket haul helped Scotland spoil Italy’s debut in the tournament. The 73-run win gave Scotland two points after their defeat to West Indies in Kolkata two days ago.
Brief scores:
Scotland 207 for 4 in 20 overs (George Munsey 84, Michael Jones 37, Brandon McMullen 41, Richie Berrington 15, Michael Leask 22*; Ali Hasan 1-21, Grant Stewart 1-44, Thomas Draca 1-37, JJ Smuts 1-38) beat Italy 134 in 16.4 overs (Anthony Mosca 13, JJ Smutts 22, Harry Manenti 52; Michael Leask 4-17, Brad Currie 1-12, Brad Wheal 1-29, Mark Watt 2-24, Oliver Davidson 1-33 ) by 73 runs
(Cricinfo)
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