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Sajith, Chamini win International Half-Marathon in Colombo

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(From left) Mrs. Jha, H.E Santosh Jha the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Captain, Anirban Banerjee, President of the ICA, Dutee Chand Professional Sprinter and current Indian Champion in the women's 100 metres and ICA committee Member at the Opening Ceremony.

Top national athletes Sajith Gunasekara and Chamini Herath bagged the men’s and women’s titles respectively of the International Half-Marathon 2024, organized by the Indian Cultural Association in Colombo on Sunday.

Gunasekara won ahead of Chanaka Rupasinghe and Madhuranga Upul Kumara to claim the top award. Gunasekara and Herath received one million rupees each for their outstanding performances in the half marathon (21.1km race), while the first and the second runner up in each category were awarded rupees 500,000.00 and 200,000.00 each.

Wathsala Herath and Nayana Sewwandi finished second and third in the women’s half marathon.

Sarath Kumara Rasara Wijesooriya were the winners of the men’s and women’s categories in the 10km race. Muthusamy Sivarajan and Wimal Dilkusha finished second and third in the men’s 10 km race.

In the women’s 10 km race Samanthika Dilhani and Ajantha Kumari finished second and third respectively.

The inaugural International Half-Marathon, sponsored by Continental Sri Lanka, saw 1,400 athletes from 20 countries gather at the Galle Face Green to participate.

The marathon began at the crack of dawn with the 21.1 km Half-Marathon participants setting off at 5:00 a.m., followed by the 10 km Challengers Run at 5:30 a.m., and culminating with the 5 km Family Run at 6:00 a.m. The scenic and well-planned route took runners through some of Colombo’s most iconic locations, including Galle Road, Marine Drive, Beira Lake, and the bustling Colombo Fort. The race returned to its starting point at Galle Face Green, where participants were met with cheers and applause from an enthusiastic crowd.

Both participants and spectators enjoyed the flat course, which provided a perfect backdrop for the athletes to test their endurance and speed.

Winners List:

5km Family Run:

Men’s Category:

1. Selvarathnam Chandradasan, 2. Jaliya Kumara Bandara, 3. Manjula Wijerathna

Women’s Category:

1. Velu Karishanthani, 2. Kalahari Madirika, 3. Marlena Platzer (Austria)

“We are thrilled with the success of our inaugural International Half-Marathon,” said Captain, Anirban Banerjee, President of the ICA. “The participation of athletes from 20 different countries demonstrates the global appeal for such events in Sri Lanka. We look forward to growing this event in the coming years, continuing our efforts to support local communities through our CSR initiatives, and further promoting Sri Lanka as a hub for world-class sporting events.”

Sajith Gunasekara won the men’s event



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Yared Nuguse breaks world indoor mile record in New York  

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[pic World Athletics]

Little more than an hour after Grant Fisher’s historic performance in the 3000m, Yared Nuguse made history of his own at the Millrose Games, winning the Wanamaker Mile in a world record of 3:46.63* at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in New York on Saturday (8).

Just hours before the meeting began, world champion Josh Kerr announced his withdrawal from the race due to illness. But despite the Briton’s absence, the race produced a fitting climax to the world’s leading indoor one-day meeting.

Abe Alvarado paced the field through 1000m in 2:20.49, then Nuguse maintained the tempo with world road mile champion Hobbs Kessler tucked right behind. After passing through 1500m in 3:31.75, a significant improvement on his own North American indoor record, Nuguse dug deep to hold on to victory in 3:46.63. Kessler took second place in 3:46.90, also inside Yomif Kejelcha’s world indoor record of 3:47.01.

In third, Australia’s Cam Myers set a world U20 record of 3:47.48* with France’s Azeddine Habz setting a national indoor record of 3:47.56 in fourth.

[*Subject to the usual ratification procedure]

[World Athletics]

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Grant Fisher breaks world indoor 3000m record in New York

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Grant Fisher broke the world indoor 3000m record [World Athletics]

USA’s Grant Fisher broke the world indoor 3000m record at the Millrose Games, clocking 7:22.91* at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in New York on Saturday (8).

The double Olympic bronze medalist had been locked in a battle with Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker for most of the way. They passed through the first 1000m in 2:29.08, then Fisher led through 2000m in 4:58.01 before Hocker hit the front with three laps to go.

Fisher stayed close behind, then kicked hard off the final bend to win in 7:22.91, improving on Lamecha Girma’s world indoor record of 7:23.81. Hocker finished second in 7:23.14, also inside Girma’s record.

[*Subject to the usual ratification procedure]

[World Athletics]

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Balbirnie and Tucker fifties give Ireland the upper hand

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Andy Balbirnie celebrates his fifth Test century [Zimbabwe Cricket]

Ireland are well placed to complete a hat-trick of Test wins after setting Zimbabwe a target of 292 and reducing them to 38 for 3 at stumps. Andy Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker struck fifties with contributions all the way down the order helping them take control of the game in Bulawayo.

Richard Ngarava, who took three of the last four wickets to fall, finished with a four-four; but it was the part-time spin of Wessly Madhevere that removed Balbirnie and Andy McBrine – Ireland’s top scorers of the second and first innings respectively.

Balbinie started the day with Campher and the duo grew their partnership from 37 to 75 with relative ease. There were nicks – like in the first over of the day – that weren’t carrying, the funky fields from Jonathan Campbell weren’t forcing batters into shots, and Blessing Muzarababi’s five-over opening spell was seen off without loss.

Campher picked up two boundaries off Trevor Gwandu – a stylish whip and a technically sound straight drive – before the bowler found his length to quieten the batter and then nick him off after drinks.

Ireland were 121 for 2 – a great entry point for Harry Tector, who got off a pair and got into his innings cautiously. Balbirnie, meanwhile, coasted along at his own pace to bring up a 106-ball fifty. He nearly dragged one on in the 34th over and weathered an examination by spin to take the lead up to 142 at lunch.

The spin of Campbell and Madhevere took hold after the break; first with the former ripping a legbreak to beat Tector’s full-faced block and trap him lbw, then the latter ripping an offbreak to beat Balbirnie’s flick to do the same.

Paul Stirling, who was more generous in peppering attack with defence, swept Madhevere over square leg for six and heaved Campbell wide of mid-on for four. He was out caught down leg, trying to pull Muzarabani fine, but was unhappy with the decision.

Tucker was off to a quick start too. He swept Campbell for two fours in the 59th over and consolidated after Stirling fell. He stitched handy 39-run and 23-run stands with McBrine and Mark Adair as Zimbabwe kept at it with spin before the second new ball became available.

McBrine was troubled by Madhevere, who beat his outside edge first (71st over) then snagged it for Nick Welch at slip to complete the catch (75th). Adair slogged a six off Madhevere and was comfortable against the old ball but edged two of the five he faced against the new ball, the second of which went to Takudzwanashe Kaitano’s hands at slip. It left Ireland 261 for 7 at tea.

Ngarava toyed with Barry McCarthy before knocking him over with a well-executed slower ball. Gwandu got a shortish ball to skid past Craig Young’s defences but that inconsistent bounce might be something that comes back to haunt Zimbabwe soon. Tucker and Matthew Humphreys, the last pair to bat, did run and walk along the danger area of the pitch a couple of times, but they were not pulled up by the umpires.

Tucker brought up fifty by pulling Ngarava and then flayed him over extra cover. But when he charged and tried to slap him over the off side two overs later, the top edge took the ball straight to cover. Ireland, who had conceded a seven-run lead, were all out for 298.

Zimbabwe came out to bat with an hour left in the day and McCarthy induced an edge from Ben Curran in the sixth over to have the opener caught behind for the second time in the game. A length ball that went away was set up by a few coming in to find the edge.

Adair ended Kaitano’s promising start, which included three boundaries, with another set-up. This time with outswingers before slowing up a fullish ball to beat the inside edge and hit the stumps.

Humphreys trapped Welch, Zimbabwe’s top scorer in the first innings, lbw with an arm ball that beat his flick. It brought Gwandu for nightwatch duty and he survived 12 balls to stumps. Brian Bennett, in at No. 4, had a close shave in the final over.

The highest successful chase in the fourth innings in a Test hosted by Zimbabwe is 192.  So, the hosts will need to break that record if they are to win.

Brief scores:
Zimbabwe 267 in 86.1 overs  and 38 for 3 in 15 overs  (Brian Bennett 15*; Mathew Humphreys 1-4, Barry McCarthy 1-14, Mark Adair 1-15) need another 254 runs to beat Ireland 260 in 56.4 overs and 298 in 93.3 overs (Andy Balbirnie 66 Lorcan Tucker 58; Richard  Ngarava 4-55, Trevor Gwandu 2-28, Wessly Madhevere 2-48)
[Cricinfo]
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