Connect with us

Sports

Rewarding true heroes an investment for the future  

Published

on

The Sri Lanka team in the foreground (from left) Tharushi Karunaratne, Jayeshi Uththara, Nadeesha Ramanayake and Lakshima Mendis await the official result after finishing third in the Women’s 4x400 metres relay at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

By Reemus Fernando  

Sri Lanka Cricket is set to reward medal winners of the Asian Games with handsome cash awards. As the richest sports body they are in a position to outdo the country’s Sports Ministry and the National Olympic Committee who are yet to react, even a fortnight after the dust settled on the 19th edition of the multi sports event in Hangzhou, China. The track and field team at the Asian Games gave the medal-starved Sri Lankans some rare moments to celebrate. In return there had been a couple of felicitation ceremonies specially in the Central Province to appreciate the double medal winner Tharushi Karunaratne. But medal winning athletes in other disciplines and the coaches who carefully guided these athletes to win accolade are yet to be appreciated.

Rewarding the athletes and their coaches is of paramount importance as the number of junior athletes giving up on sports has increased due to financial difficulties. Unlike many other sports, track and field sports require athletes to train round the year if they are to perform at the highest level. The coaches too work round the year in a bid to groom athletes to reach their personal best performances.

The appreciation they receive will not only boost their morale but will be a huge encouragement for hundreds of other athletes and their coaches to persevere in track and field sports. The medals won at the Hangzhou edition were special as they had come after a long drought. With cricket taking the pride of place after the mid 90s many a budding athlete took up cricket and the number of athletes persevering in track and field after their schooldays were over, decreased drastically.

Today, the country’s track and field owe a great deal of its Asian Games success to the schools structure as junior competitions, namely the Sir John Tarbat Championships,  Junior National Championships and the All-Island Schools Games have kept the interest of teenagers in track and field alive. Despite the absence of a proper system to nurture the athletes leaving schools, the coaches at junior level have continued to produce future prospects. Of the dozen athletes who won medals in China two are school athletes (Tharushi and Jayeshi Uththara) and a majority of others have many years ahead to persevere in track and field.

It is incumbent upon authorities to look after these athletes and also to encourage juniors to engage in track and field sports as it has proven beyond doubt its potential to be a medal winning sport at Asian level.



Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Malintha bags ten wickets as St. Sebastian’s book semi-final ticket 

Published

on

Malintha Silva

Under 19 Division I Cricket 

by Reemus Fernando 

A painstaking knock of 49 runs by Kaveesha Perera and a valuable half century by Navod Fernando helped St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa pull off an exciting four wicket victory over St. Anthony’s College Katugastota in the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket quarter-final at Gajaba Regiment Ground Saliyapura, Anuradhapura on Friday.

It was a huge turnaround for the Sebs after conceding a first innings deficit of 51 runs. Tournament’s highest wicket taker, Malintha Silva’s six wicket haul in the second innings was the turning point as Sebs dismissed St. Anthony’s for 103 runs. Malintha collected a match bag of ten wickets.

Chasing 149 runs for victory St. Sebastian’s lost three wickets for 40 runs but Navod Fernando’s 58 runs and Kaveesha’s 131-ball 49 helped them ease nerves and reach the target with a session to spare.

Now St. Sebastian’s will meet the winners of the match between St. Joseph’s and St. Peter’s in the semi-final on 12, 13 and 14 at Samadi Ground Anuradhapura.

In the other quarter-final, first innings points were enough for Royal to advance to the semi-final.

Despite having a huge first innings lead, Royal decided not to enforce the follow-on. They posted 248 runs thanks to an unbeaten 122 runs by Vimath Dinsara. In their second essay S. Thomas’ were 186 for three wickets at close.

Now Royal will wait for a decision by a SLSCA committee to see who would be their semi-final opponents from the Mahanama-Trinity match. The quarter-final between Mahanama and Trinity did not last the full distance after Mahanama disputed a move by the ground staff to roll the wicket earlier than the scheduled time and pulled out. Trinity were ahead in the first innings. The committee were scheduled to meet in the morning on Saturday (8) to take a decision.

Match Details 

At Gajaba Regiment Ground Saliyapura, Anuradhapura 

Scores

St. Anthony’s 204 all out in 70 overs

(Sanuka Kalpana 41, Charuka Ekanayake 24, Kevan Fernando 89n.o.; Risinu Prabesh 2/21, Malintha Silva 4/60) and 103 all out in 35.4 overs (Okitha Fernando 29, Charuka Ekanayake 21, Kevan Fernando 28; Malintha Silva 6/54, Shenas Hashein 3/23)

St. Sebastian’s 159 all out in 67 overs

(Ushen Silva 33, Ryan Dissanayake 33, Navod Fernando 34; Charuka Ekanayake 3/66, Dinura Ganegoda 3/20, Kevan Fernando 2/09) and 00 for 1 overnight 149 for 6 in 51.1 overs (Kaveesha Perera 49, Navod Fernando 58; Charuka Ekanayake 2/33, Ryan Gregory 2/24, Sadew Amarakoon 2/22)

At Samadi Ground Anuradhapura 

Scores 

Royal 301 all out in 102.4 overs

(Hirun Liyanarachchi 22, Rehan Peiris 82, Ramiru Perera 81, Yasindu Dissanayake 58; Kavindu Dias 2/69, Abheeth Paranawidana 2/66, Minon Warnasuriya 2/37) and 50 for 2 overnight 248 all out in 63.5 overs (Isula Geeganage 47, Vimath Dinsara 122n.o, Ramiru Perera 25; Abheeth Paranawidana 3/63, Aaron de Silva 3/48)

S. Thomas’ 120 all out in 58.2 overs

(Dineth Goonewardene 28, Sachitha Gunasinghe 33; Sehandu Sooriyaarachchi 5/31, Ranuka Malaviarachchi 2/39) and 186 for 3 in 39 overs  (Sadew Soysa 57, Jaden Amaraweera 46,  Dineth Gunawardana 44n.o., Mithila Charles 34n.o.)

Continue Reading

Sports

Sandas, Venuli Under 18 singles champs

Published

on

CL Synergy SSC Open Tennis Championship

Sandas Usgodaarachchi and Venuli Jayasinghe emerged Under 18 boys’ and girls’ singles champions of the CL Synergy SSC Open Tennis Championship continued in Colombo on Friday.

Usgodaarachchi beat Ganuka Fernando 6-0, 6-1 in the final to clinch the title.

In the girls’ singles title fight, Venuli Jayasinghe beat Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 1-6, 7-6, 7-5.

Meanwhile, Revan Amarasinghe and Avin Diad beat Sanithu Samaraweera and Chirath Subasinghe 6-2, 3-6, 10-5 to win the Under 14 boys’ doubles title.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Ireland surge ahead despite Muzarabani’s heroics

Published

on

By

Blessing Muzarabani and Trevor Gwandu dragged Zimbabwe to a first-innings lead [Zimbabwe Cricket]

Ireland and Zimbabwe continued to zigzag with the flow yet again in Bulawayo but it was the visitors who were better placed at the end of the day. barry McCarthy’s toil and versatility combined with Andy McBrine’s consistency provided them with the hope of capturing a substantial lead.

Blessing Muzarabani thought otherwise. His inspired 67-run stand for the tenth wicket with Trevor Gwandu took Zimbabwe from a position of danger into the comforts of a slender lead. But it was a sign of the pitch easing out, something Ireland’s top order didn’t waste.

Peter Moor dispatched Muzarabani, who didn’t bowl consistent lines, as Ireland raced to 42 for 0 in seven overs. Richard Ngarava got one to angle away to ensure Moor’s 33 didn’t grow to become a good score, but his partner, Andy Balbirnie, joined Curtis Campher to ensure Ireland went to stumps unscathed.

Brief scores:
Ireland 260 and 83 for 1 in 21 overs  (Andy Balbirnie 32*,  Peter Moor 30; Richard  Ngarava 1-25) lead Zimbabwe 267 in 86.1 overs (Nick Welch 90, Blessing Muzarabani 47; Barry  McCarthy 4-75, Andy McBrine 3-59) by 76 runs

Continue Reading

Trending