Sports

Meet Harijan, the 400 metres hurdler at Sydney Olympics

Published

5 years ago

2021/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Waiting for the next Olympic hurdler – Part VIII

by Reemus Fernando

The last Sri Lankan man to run 400 metres hurdles at an Olympics is Harijan Ratnayake. That was 21 years ago. He will be in Tokyo next month. Ratnayake who holds the national record of the discipline will not be running hurdles there. Instead he is accompanying his charge Kumudu Priyanga for the Paralympics. Asian Para Games medallist Priyanga is not a hurdler. She will compete in the 100 metres and the long jump in the T47 category.

“I do not have hurdlers training under me,” says Harijan who alongside Asian medallist Asoka Jayasundara are the only men to know how it feels like to have run the event under 50 seconds.

Rajitha Niranjan Rajakaruna who won the bronze medal in the 400 metres flat event at the last National Championship is trained by Harijan. He clocked 47.21 seconds at the nationals. According to Harijan athletes willing to take up the 400 metres hurdles and ready to work hard are in short supply. “When Rajakaruna came to me he was running 400 metres in 57 seconds or somewhere around that. To become a 400 metres hurdler you have to be a good 400 metres sprinter as well. When the base is prepared he could be trained for 400 metres hurdles.”

“I see many future prospects. But I can train only if they come to me,” says Harijan who earmarks Asian Junior Championship (2018) medallist Pasindu Kodikara as one.

Harijan too was not a hurdler initially. He reached the pinnacle of his athletics career, established records and went on to represent Sri Lanka at Sydney Olympics when he trained under S.M.G. Banda, who was among the best in the business then. Harijan was introduced to Banda by incumbent president of Sri Lanka Athletics Palitha Fernando, who had been in the athletics administration since 1979. Things have change dramatically within the last two decades as athletes have continued to remain with their school coaches even after reaching senior level.

After Duncan White won silver in the 400 metres hurdles in 1948 Olympics it took Sri Lanka more than five decades to qualify an athlete for the 400 metres hurdles. A clue to the question why had it taken so many years to unearth someone like Ratnayake might lie in a stack of books in an iron cupboard in the department of sports at the Ministry of Education. The event results of all athletics disciplines of the All Island Schools Games are carefully stored according to their year in a steel cupboard at Isurupaya. Our search for the 400 metres hurdles results of all Schools Games found that the event had been only introduced in early 90s. According to Sri Lanka Athletics statistician the Public Schools meet which was the forerunner to the All Island Schools Games had only the 300 metres hurdles.

Had Ratnayake competed in 400 metres hurdles in his last year, the All Island Schools Games results of mid 90s should have had his performances. The name Ratnayake is not there in the final of any meet in that period. However in one particular meet heats performances shows an athlete from Dharmadutha Vidyalaya, Badulla being placed third in a heat. “When the championship was held in Anuradhapura I went to see the ruins after the heats. I did not even see the final.”

However it took only five years for him to be Sri Lanka’s number one hurdler and win medals at Asian level and represent Sri Lanka at Olympics. The right athlete training under the right coach can bring the best out of both.

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Sports

Washout gives Kolkata Knight Riders first point after Bartlett’s new-ball burst

Published

5 hours ago

2026/04/7

Priyan

PBKS may have felt that the rain cost them a point [BCCI]

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got their first points of IPL 2026 but without a victory against their name after their home clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) was washed out on Monday night. Desperate for a win after starting the campaign with two losses on the bounce, KKR were reeling against swing of Xavier Bartlett and were 25 for 2 in 3.4 overs when drizzle stopped the game.

It soon turned into heavy rain with gusts of wind and the entire ground went under white covers. From 7.48pm IST, when the players went off the field, the spectators waited until 11pm when play was called off.

PBKS top the table for now as the only team with five points; three teams are on their heels with four points each.

Rain stopped at around 10.30pm, and hopes of a shortened game lingered briefly as the covers started to come off, but with plenty of water coming off the covers and accumulating near the boundary areas, it was not possible to get the field ready in time for a five-overs-a-side contest.

KKR’s struggles with the bat continued after their captain Ajinkya Rahane surprisingly chose to bat. They were also without their spin twins of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy; the last time KKR had played a match without either was back in 2019. While Narine was unwell, Varun had injured his left hand while fielding in their previous game, against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Varun was seen in the dugout with strapping on his hand.

Arshdeep Singh started well for PBKS, swinging the ball both ways in the first over, before Bartlett took over with his hooping outswingers. He beat Finn Allen three times in a row with outswing at the start of the second over before extracting his outside edge to send him back for 6. Next ball, he drew a thick edge from Cameron Green that went for four, and he then pounded in another zippy outswinger that kissed Green’s outside edge for another caught-behind.

In just three balls, KKR had slipped from 12 for 0 to 16 for 2 as Rahane watched from the other end. It had drizzled a bit through that period of action, and the umpires called for the covers in the fourth over.

The only reason for the KKR faithful to cheer was when franchise co-owner Shah Rukh Khan was shown on the big screen and when he later appeared on the balcony to wave to the fans.

Scores: Match abandoned
Kolkata Knight Riders 25 for 2 in 3.4 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 08*, AngkrishnRaguvanshi 07*; Xavier Bartlett 2-9) vs Punjab Kings

[Cricinfo]

Latest News

Hasaranga, Pathirana yet to undergo SLC-mandated fitness tests

Published

6 hours ago

2026/04/7

Priyan

Wanindu Hasaranga got injured in the T20 World Cup [Cricinfo]

Matheesha Pathirana and Wanidu Hasaranga are among 15 Sri Lankan players under central contracts yet to take their mandatory fitness tests, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed. Six others are understood to have failed at least one attempt, which means that of the 45 centrally-contracted players, currently only 24 have passed the test.

The reasons for those yet to take the test vary from injuries to logistical issues. The timelines for Hasaranga and Pathirana remain most pertinent, with the pair set to represent Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively in IPL 2026.

Hasaranga’s scenario looks the most bleak, with sources close to the player saying it’s unlikely he will play “anytime soon,” while a source at SLC said that “Hasaranga has not as yet requested for an NOC (No Objection Certificate).” The legspinner has been out of action since tearing his left hamstring in Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup opener against Ireland in February, and there is no clear idea on when he will undergo his fitness evaluation.

Pathirana, who strained his calf in the T20 World Cup match against Australia, is understood to have begun bowling in the nets as he ups his recovery, with sources close to the player hopeful of him being in India for the IPL by mid-April. While no date has been officially set for his SLC-mandated fitness test, it is likely to take place next week.

SLCs overhauling of their fitness culture has also extended to the domestic National Super League tournament, which began on Monday. The testing for that is less stringent; players only need to complete a 2km run and a skin-fold test. No points are allocated, they simply need to pass the minimum threshold. Whereas centrally-contracted players have a 20m sprint, a 5-0-5 agility test, and a Counter Movement Jump (CMJ) – each offering points ranging from one to five each – with a potential seven points each up for grabs in the 2km run and skin-fold test. Seventeen out of 29 points are needed to pass the test.

Of the 87 players taking part in the tournament, 23 failed to clear the minimum fitness requirements and have been given an April 19 deadline to pass the test. If they fail to do so, they will be allowed to continue playing but will be denied their match fees, with future representation in the tournament also likely to come under scrutiny.

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Samash smashes century as Joes post 354

Published

11 hours ago

2026/04/7

Sahan Weerasooriya

Aveesha Samash (Picture credit ThePapare)

Open batsman Aveesha Samash produced a superb century to power St. Joseph’s College to a commanding first-day total against Prince of Wales College in their Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ semi-final encounter at the D.H.H. Ground, Madampella on Monday.

‎Samash top scored with a brilliant 122 runs, striking 14 fours and three sixes, as the Josephians piled up an imposing 354 in their first innings.

‎Asked to take first lease of the wicket, St. Joseph’s suffered an early setback, losing two wickets for just 16 runs. However, Samash steadied the innings with a crucial third wicket partnership alongside Pamoda Dalpadado. The pair added a valuable 173 runs to turn the match in favour of the Josephians.

‎Batting for more than thirty overs together, Samash played the aggressor’s role while Dalpadado provided steady support, ensuring the Joes rebuilt strongly and maintained control of the contest. Dalpadado contributed a well-compiled 64 before being caught by Rusandu Silva off the bowling of Oshan Maneesha, who emerged as the pick of the Prince of Wales bowlers.

‎Samash continued his fluent innings to reach a well-deserved century before being dismissed after laying a solid platform for his side.

‎Following their departures, Chethina Kavinda added a useful 34 while Nushan Perera accelerated the scoring with an entertaining 60 off 68 balls, which included nine boundaries and a six, helping the Josephians reach their formidable total of 354.

‎For Prince of Wales, Oshan Maneesha led the bowling effort with good support from Nethul Anuhas and Rusandu Silva, who claimed two wickets each.

‎At stumps on the opening day, the Cambrians safely negotiated one over each from Nushan Perera and Vishwa Peiris without losing a wicket, beginning their reply cautiously.

‎‎Scores:

‎St. Joseph’s 354 all out in 78.3 overs (Aveesha Samash 122, Pamoda Dalpadado 64, Nushan Perera 60, Chethina Kavinda 34; Oshan Maneesha 4/91, Nethul Anuhas 2/83, Rusandu Silva 2/39).

‎Prince of Wales

3 for no loss in 2 overs. (RF)