Sports
Lekamge creates history at Asian Games
Thrower smashes national record to prove her coach right
by Reemus Fernando
Thrower Dilhani Lekamge smashed her own national record as she ended country’s track and field medal drought at the Asian Games winning the silver medal in the women’s javelin throw in Hangzhou, China yesterday.
The athlete trained by Pradeep Nishantha became the first Sri Lankan since 2006 to win a medal in track and field events at Asian Games as she hurled the javelin to a distance of 61.57 metres in her fourth attempt. With that she broke her own national record and that mark briefly elevated her to the top position before she was overtaken by India’s Annu Rani whose throw of 62.92 metres found to be the best throw of the evening.
She became the first Sri Lankan woman to break the 61 metres barrier as she proved her coach Pradeep Nishantha’s predictions right.
“I am happy that she could end the country’s medal drought at these Games. The authorities did not believe that she could win a medal for Sri Lanka. That was why I was not selected to accompany her to Asian Games as coach,” a jubilant Pradeep Nishantha said in an interview with The Island yesterday.
“I am happy for her achievement. Everything has gone according to plan. National record was what we were targeting. I hope this will encourage others to take up this discipline,” Nishantha further said.
The 36-year-old is also the first Sri Lankan (male or female) to win a medal in a throwing event at the quadrennial games and joins a selected number of Sri Lankan athletes to have won a medal in an individual event at Asian Games. She becomes the 12th Sri Lankan athlete to win an individual medal of any colour in track and field at Asian Games.
Tharushi to fight for two medals
Sri Lanka’s track and field athletes shrugged off the disappointment surrounding the missed opportunity in the 4×400 metres mixed relay in the morning session as Ratnayake Central prodigy Tharushi Karunaratne, veteran runner Gayanthika Abeyratne and the men’s 4x400metres relay team did well to advance to the finals of their respective events.
Sri Lanka’s mixed relay team were disqualified on Monday after finishing second due to a lane infringement.
The 800 metres specialist Karunaratne will vie for medals in two disciplines today after advancing to the 800 metres final as the second fastest of the three heats held yesterday.
Competing in heat three, which was found to be the fastest heat, Tharushi clocked 2:05.48 seconds to finish second behind China’s Wang Chunyu. Veteran runner Gayanthika who finished the women’s 1500 metres just outside the podium earlier in the championship competed in the second heat and was placed third with a time of 2:07.17 seconds, which was enough to earn a place in the final. The Sri Lankan duo who shared the gold and bronze in the 800 metres at the Asian Championships are among the favourites for the medals today.
It will be a busy day for Tharushi today as she is scheduled to anchor the women’s 4×400 metres final less than an hour after competing in the 800 metres final.
Sri Lanka rested their top two 400 metres sprinters for the men’s 4×400 metres heats where Dinuka Deshan, Pabasara Niku, Rajitha Rajakaruna and Pasindu Kodikara did well to secure the final spot finishing the heat in the second place behind Philippine. Sri Lanka clocked 3:06.60 seconds. They were the leaders in the final lap before Philippine pipped them in the last few metres.
Kalinga Kumarage and Aruna Dharshana who featured in the mixed relay final are set to join Niku and Rajakaruna in the final today.
Playing just his second Test and the first in his team’s starting XI, Pasindu Sooriyabandara made Sri Lanka dream of the rarest of possibilities, but reality imposed itself on the SSC late on day four as India regained their grip on a Test match that had seemed to spiral out of control after the threat of bad weather led them to enforce the follow-on.
After Sooriyabandara put on 58 with Kamil Mishara for the second wicket and 115 with Kamindu Mendis for the third, Sri Lanka were at one stage 209 for 3, or just four runs behind with seven second-innings wickets in hand, on a day-four pitch that was still looking excellent for batting. India’s bowlers were into their 149th over across two consecutive innings, and looking short of both penetration and inspiration against a top order that had never allowed them to settle into their lengths.
Just then, however, Manav Suthar, who had borne the brunt of Sri Lanka’s positive intent, dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva and then Sooriyabandara in the space of two overs, the latter out eight short of a maiden Test hundred. Soon after, Saransh Jain trapped Niroshan Dickwella lbw, and Sri Lanka were effectively 5 for 6. By the time rain arrived to bring an early end to the day, Sri Lanka’s seventh-wicket pair had only added a further 11 runs to their tally.
If Sri Lanka still retain any hope going into the final day of this series, it will rest on the shoulders of Sonal Dinusha, batting on 7 in his final innings of a remarkable series. Earlier in the day, he had converted his overnight 85 into his second century of the series, with his only other completed innings bringing him 84.
Scores:
Sri Lanka 290 in 89.4 overs (Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80, Sonal Dinusha 103; Prasidh Krishna 3-52, Manav Suthar 3-85) and 229 for 6 in 72.4 overs (f/o) (Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92, Kamindu Mendis 55, Sonal Dinusha 7*; Manav Suthar 2-81) lead India 503 for 9 dec by 16 runs
[Cricinfo]
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