Sports
Isuru sprints to record as Lyceum, Ratnayake win titles
Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championships
by Reemus Fernando
Sprinter Isuru Kaushalya Bans of Ananda Sastralaya, Matugama produced a stunning 46.96 seconds finish to win the Under 20 boys’ 400 metres and the best athlete title in the boys’ category as the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championships came to a close with Lyceum International, Wattala and Ratnayake Central Walala winning the boys’ and girls’ titles respectively at Diyagama on Friday.
Lyceum became the first International school in history to win the title of this meet which was once called the public schools championships. In the girls’ category Ratnayake Central were helped by their Under 20 girls’ to retain the title as they won points in relays and long-distance events. They capped the four-day event with their star athlete Tharushi Karunaratne running the anchor leg of the 4×400 metres to establish a new record (3:57.86secs).
Isuru Kaushalya’s performance fetched him the highest points in the World Athletics points table to be crowned the best athlete of the meet. The athlete trained by Dhanushka Rajitha Munasinghe came almost close to matching his personal best as he become the only athlete to have run 400 metres under 47 seconds at these championships. He shattered Ratnayake Central athlete Manoj Pushpakumara’s long-standing 400 metres record which had stood unchanged since 2003.
Hurdler Dhanuka Dharshana who is the fastest in the Under 20 category over that distance this year finished third with a time of 49.30 seconds while Sithum Jayasundara, who had almost quit athletics after being dumped from the World Junior Championships team made a return to win the second place with a time of 48.35 seconds.
The Under 18 boys’ 400 metres final witnessed Salamuthu Jayathilaka (48.49 secs) of Thurstan and Theminda Rajapaksha (48.57) of Sir John Kothalawala College, Kurunegala sharing the gold and silver respectively and reaching qualifying standards for the Asian Youth Athletics Championships to be held in October.
In field events, Razwin Carrim of Lyceum International, Panadura and Oshini Kodikara of St. Lawrence’s Convent, Wellawatta established new meet records.
Carrim created a new record in the Under 18 boys’ long jump. He cleared 7.20 metres to erase Richmond athlete Isuru Malinda’s 2016 record. Kodikara won the Under 16 girls’ triple jump with a new meet record distance of 11.64 metres yesterday. It was her second gold medal after having won the long jump earlier. In the 100 metres she was placed fourth.
The four-day event’s most promising performance in the girls’ category was produced by long jumper Nethmika Madushani Herath of Nannapurawa MV on day three. She cleared 6.09 metres, the best long jump performance by a Sri Lankan junior athlete in history. Her record-breaking mark will also be the new national junior record. The premier athletics championship of the Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association saw history’s highest participation as the event was held after a lapse of two years. However, the big numbers also resulted in delays in completing events during the first three days.
(Cricbuzz)
By A Special Sports Correspondent
All eyes will be on new entrants to rugby ‘Sri Lions Sports Club’ when they debut in the 2024/25 Inter-club league rugby tournament in Kandy on Sunday (December 15). Sri Lions are slated to take on last season’s league tournament runners-up Kandy Sports Club at the Nittawela grounds. Despite Sri Lions SC being new to domestic rugby, a thriller is expected; as the team is packed with players who are well drilled at training and the other reason being all players possess an IRB Level 1 qualification.
Sri Lions SC’s entry into division 1 rugby was not smooth. Many clubs opposed their promotion to the top league in the domestic tournament. Rugby sources told ‘The Island’ that despite the opposition shown by some clubs, Sri Lanka Rugby and other prominent sports authorities in Sri Lanka had to grant the new entrants their due place in the top league. This was largely because Sri Lions SC had made progress through the proper channel by winning the B Division rugby tournament last season.
Dr. Kelum Sujith Perera, the founder chairman of Sri Lions SC, was quoted in the newspapers saying that the club’s priority was centred around professionalism and transparency and that the club was committed to contributing to rugby development in Sri Lanka.
The club boasts of having in their line up comprising 12 former national players and a horde of talented ex-schoolboy players who have recently finished their academic commitments on a high.
The other matches scheduled for the first week of club rugby are: Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club vs CH&FC at Ratmalana (December 13), Army Sports Club vs Police Sports Club at Panagoda, Navy Sport Club vs Havelocks SC at Welisara (Both matches on December 14).
CR&FC will be one of the teams to watch this season given that they are the reigning league rugby champions. The side is led by Gemunu Chethiya. The club upgrading their stadium to have floodlight facilities should elevate player thinking to another level. The other club to offer floodlight facilities for domestic rugby matches is Havelocks SC. However CR will not have a match in the opening week of the tournament.
Last season’s league runners-up Kandy SC are led this season by seasoned scrum half Srinath Sooriyabandara who counts years of experience playing in domestic and overseas tournaments. The side is coached by Fazil Marija. Kandy SC’s dominance in domestic rugby was broken last season and much is expected of the side from Nittawela, which is going through a team building phase at present.
CH&FC is a dangerous side to play against when the team members are gelled and focused. Last season the side finished fourth. This season the Gymkhana Club is led by Janidu Dilshan.
Havelocks SC led by Abdullah Faiz is set to finish on a high this season. The Park Club finished third in the league rugby tournament last season. Police SC, which had to be satisfied winning the ‘Plate Championship’ in the league tournament last season, will be another strong contender vying for honours . The side is led for the second consecutive year by third row forward Mohan Wimalaratne.
The other sides in the tournament are Army SC, Air Force Sports Club and Navy Sport Club.
The tournament is conducted by Sri Lanka Rugby, the governing body for the sport in the island. Rugby sources reveal that an SGM has been called on December 20 for clubs to attend with the motive of announcing the date for the much looked forward to Annual General Meeting of SLR. According to International Rugby regulations, SLR has to have it’s AGM before January 31 next year.
SLTA Hard Court Nationals
Revaan Amarasinghe and Shennon Senadheera reached the Under 12 boys singles final as they edged out their semi-final opponents at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association Hard Court Tennis Nationals at the SLTA courts on Thursday.
Amarasinghe of S.Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia beat Nuren Wevita 6-1, 6-1 in his semi-final.
In the other semi-final, Wesley’s Shannon Senadheera beat Yonal Dankumbura 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Results : Under 14 Boys quarter-final
Jayan Sebastian beat Buvidu Jayawardana 6-4, 6-3.
Damsath Peiris beat Thuvakar Sathiees 6-3, 6-4.
D. Wickramasinghe beat Umar Wayis 6-3, 6-1.
Under 18 Boys’ semi-final
Louis Knese beat Ganuka Fernando 6-4, 6-3
Women’s Singles quarter-final
Rukshika Wijesuriya beat Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
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