Ambagamuwa Central hurdler Dhanuka Dharshana shattered the national junior 400 metres hurdles record as junior athletes continued to beat odds at the World Junior Athletics Championships in Cali Colombia. The hurdler trained by veteran coach Anura Bandara advanced to the semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles with an outstanding 51.41 seconds feat as he finished second behind Ismail Nezir of Turkey in the seventh heat. Of the 50 athletes who took part in the first-round heats, Dharshana’s feat of 51.41 seconds was ranked 13th With that outstanding feat, Dharshana broke the national junior record of the event held by Navodya Sankalpa.

Dharshana was scheduled to compete against a strong field of athletes in the first semi-final of the 400 metres hurdles later yesterday. He was the second Sri Lankan athlete to book a semi-final berth after Tharushi Karunaratne advanced from the girls’ 400 metres.However, Karunaratne had to bow out of the semi-finals on Wednesday after finishing seventh in a time of 54.86 seconds.

Meanwhile, javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga and triple jumper Pasindu Malshan were scheduled to compete in their events in the afternoon yesterday. Country’s junior athletes spent more than a month uncertain of their participation at the World Championships in Cali. After their plight was highlighted in the media the sports authorities intervened at the eleventh hour and the team went in two batches. The last-minute intervention meant that Ratnayake Central runner Tharushi Karunaratne and St. Peter’s long jumper Hirusha Hashen missed their pet events.