Sports
Navy promotes record breaker Gayanthika
Veteran runner Gayanthika Abeyratne who established two national records at the weekend’s second leg of the 99th National Athletics Championship was promoted to the next higher rate of Petty Officer by Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne. Her promotion came to effect on Tuesday. .
Sri Lanka Navy’s middle- and long-distance runner who had been under the tutelage of Sajith Jayalal for a long period smashed national records in the women’s 1,500 metres and 5,000 metres. With Sri Lanka Athletics amending the schedule at the eleventh hour it became possible for Abeyratne to have a go at both records as she commenced her medal hunt with the 1500m on Saturday.
However, the margin with which she lowered the previous records was something that no one saw coming. Gayanthika clocked 4:09.12 seconds to break the record held by Nimali Liyanarachchi in 2019. She slashed some six seconds off the previous (4:15.86) record. In the 5,000metres held on Sunday the former 800 metres champion returned a time of 15:55.84 seconds. She really smashed the record held by US based runner Hiruni Wijayaratne as she became the first Sri Lankan female runner in history to clock a sub 16 minutes performance. Wijayaratne’s record was 16:17.51 seconds.
“The Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne commended the athlete for her commitment and talent and awarded her a service promotion to the rate of Petty Officer and encouraged her to achieve many more victories in the future. He also heaped praise on her coach Sajith Jayalal, who was instrumental in training the athlete, and presented him a special memento in appreciation of his contribution for this achievement ,” Navy said in a statement.
Abeyrathne joined Sri Lanka Navy in 2010 and has represented the institution in athletics over the years. She has won a number of medals at international competitions for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Navy said that Abeyratne was adjudged the Best Sportswoman at the 2021 Navy Colours Awarding Ceremony. In one of her last international competitions for Sri Lanka before the Covid 19 pandemic Abeyratne was placed fourth in the 1,500 metres at the Asian Athletics Championships in Doha in 2019 but later her place was elevated to bronze after the disqualification of a podium finisher for using banned substances.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted their concurrence to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Youth Affairs to appoint S. Achchudan of Special Grade of Sri Lanka Administrative Service, who is currently serving as an Additional Commissioner of Elections at the Elections Commission who is
recommended by the panel of interviewers to the post of Director General of the Sports Development Department with effect form 01.01.2026.
After three low scores, three tosses lost and three heavy defeats, Sri Lanka gave hosts India more of a fight in the fourth T20I on Sunday when they finally got to chase a target instead of setting one. They got somewhat close thanks to contribution from batters apart from Chamari Athapaththu. With their confidence running a little higher, they would want to sign off fromthis five match tour with one win as the preparations for the T20 World Cup, which is less than six months away, heat up.
India have been clinical all through the series – with their share of luck, having won the first three tosses – in restricting Sri Lanka to totals under 130 and getting home with at least five overs and seven wickets in hand. That presents Sri Lanka the opportunity to test India’s middle and lower order on Tuesday, but with the gargantuan task of going past the duo of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who put up India’s biggest partnership for any wicket to set up the hosts’ highest T20I total. India have had to use only five batters in this series so far.
Whether they set a total or chase one, Sri Lanka would draw inspiration from Hasini Perera’s start on Sunday, in which she took down Renuka Singh and Arundhati Reddy in the opening overs before Nilakshika Silva finally got some runs in the lower order.
Sri Lanka would also want to cash in on any lives their batters are offered as India have been sloppy this series – putting down five catches in the opener and two in the fourth game – which could help the visitors narrow the gap between the two sides.
There are always expectations from Athapaththu when Sri Lanka bat, and it was refreshing to see Hasini Perera take the lead in the opening partnership with her captain on Sunday. It was Perera’s penchant for boundaries that charged Sri Lanka to 52 for 0 in the first four overs. Hasini has played nearly 90 T20Is and the last game of the series will be the perfect chance for her to score her maiden T20I half-century that will only increase the faith in her abilities in the lead up to the T20 World Cup.
She has been dismissed just twice this series and Shafali Verma is reaching scary heights in the T20 format with 236 runs already at a strike rate of 185.82 this series. The next best strike rate this series (minimum 50 runs) is Jemimah Rodrigues’ 140.54. Shafali has taken down every possible bowling combination Sri Lanka have thrown at her at the start and with three half-centuries in a row, a continuation of her boundary barrage could be another spectacular show from the India opener.
Rodrigues missed the fourth T20I while recovering from a mild fever and India brought in Harleen Deol for her first game of the series but she didn’t get a chance to bat. Already leading 4-0, India may also want to hand a debut to 17-year-old wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini, the only player in the squad who hasn’t played this series.
India (possible): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues/Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh/G Kamalini (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Renuka Singh/Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Shree Charani
Sri Lanka have been making changes through the series too, and even though they have used up all their players from the squad of 15, don’t rule out any more changes on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka (possible): Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Imesha Dulani, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wk), Kavisha Dilhari, Kawya Kavindi/Malki Madara, Inoka Ranaweera, Malsha Shehani, Nimasha Meepage
[Cricinfo]
Under 19 Cricket
A century by Bihan Gamage and and a six wicket haul by Mevindu Kumarasiri were the individual highlights on day one of the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ and ‘B’ matches on Monday.
While Gamage’s century was the backbone of DS Senanayake’s challenging total of 365 runs against Nalanda, Mevindu Kumarasiri’s six wicket haul helped Sri Sumangala restrict Isipatana to 136 runs.
Later Sri Sumangala reached 158 for two wickets at stumps thanks to an unbroken third wicket stand of 140 runs between Sandeep Wijerathna (61n.o.) and Neksha Iddamalgoda (81n.o.).
That was not the only notable partnership of the day as the ninth wicket pair of Kaveesha Githmal (43) and Kavindu Nimsara (66) put on 99 runs for Mahinda to post 284 runs against Lumbini in their match.
At DSS ground
Scores
DSS 365 all out in 79 overs (Savain Kalansooriya 54, Bihan Gamage 102, Janindu Ranasinghe 50, Shevan Welgama 73; Osanda Pamuditha 2/69, Dunitha Anusara 4/66, Sahas Godage 3/76)
Nalanda 28 for 1 in 10 overs
At Galle
Scores
Mahinda 284 all out in 72.2 overs (Dulsith Darshana 63, Randula Mabarana 28, Manitha Rajapaksha 23, Kaveesha Githmal 43, Kavindu Nimsara 66; Yashod Kavindu 5/100, Dinal Sewmina 2/32)
Lumbini 76 for 4 in 20 overs (Kisandu Dulneth 33, Yashod Kavindu 26; Sadev Nethmina 2/27)
At Panadura
Scores
Isipatana 136 all out in 47.2 overs (Yuveen Keshan 21, Dasith Senal 31; Mevindu Kumarasiri 6/54)
Sri Sumangala 158 for 2 in 45 overs
(Sandeep Wijerathna 61n.o., Neksha Iddamalgoda 81n.o.) (RF)
S. Achchudan appointed as Director General of the Sports Development Department.
Amendment of the National Environment Act No. 47 of 1980
Tax relief for Dates received as donations or gifts for Ramadan
Cabinet nod to establish the Sri Lanka Industrial Transformation and innovation Authority
Temporary employment of Sri Lankan labour in the State of Israel
Cabinet approves liquidation of Sahasya Investment Company
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