by Reemus Fernando

When Savindu Avishka stopped the clock at 1:49. 83 seconds to win the boys’ 800 metres at the South Asian Junior Championship in Chennai, the 16-year-old not only produced the fastest time by a junior (U20) athlete in the discipline but also the fastest time by any Sri Lankan athlete this year. He is not the only junior or youth(U18) athlete to clock season’s best performances overtaking seniors.

From the South Asian Junior Athletics Championship medallist to title winners of the just concluded All Island Schools Games Athletics Championship, a good number of junior athletes have surpassed senior national athletes to produce the country’s best performances of the year in their respective disciplines.

Some of the athletes who excelled at the just concluded All Island Schools Games Athletics Championships had turned tables on experienced athletes at senior national level before they concluded their schools careers. The best performances of some junior athletes are also the season’s best performances at senior national level.

Nannapurawa MV Bibila long jumper Madushani Herath who is in her final year in the schools circuit has gone on to become the national champion in both the long jump and the triple jump turning tables on senior athletes.

Emerging athlete Dilni Rajapaksha who is just 14 years old is the top performer of the season in the women’s long jump after having cleared 6.26 metres at the Western Province Schools Athletics Championship.

Ambagamuwa Central athlete Ayomal Akalanka, who emerged as the best athlete in the boys category at the All Island Schools Games is also the top performer at national level in the men’s 400 metres hurdles.

There are also dozens of other junior athletes who have reached the national top ten in their respective disciplines this year.

In the men’s 400 metres, the most promising discipline with regard to top performances, there are at least two schools athletes in the national top ten list with Shashintha Silva and Jathya Kirulu producing outstanding feats this year. In the women’s category too, there are couple of schools athletes in the top ten list in several disciplines, namely, the 200m (Jithma Wijetunga and Shanella Senviratne), 400m (Wijetunga and Takshima Nuhansa), 800m (Tharushi Abisheka and MGTA Premasiri) and high jump (Nethra Samadi and Sandani Kularatne).

As results bear witness the track and field sport is fast becoming a sport of juniors. When Tharushi Karunaratne won medals at the Asian level, she was still a school athlete. While close competition and event specific training have contributed to top performances at junior level, lack of participation at senior level and prospective juniors giving up the sport after leaving schools have left a little number of athletes to fight for podium positions at senior national level.

The number of athletes annually recruited by the tri forces has dropped drastically during the last five years. And several top athletes including an Asian Championship medallist have retired prematurely due to various reasons.

The strong track and field culture at school level has resulted in a steady supply of talent to national level. But a vast majority do not persevere a career in track and field due to meagre returns. It is incumbent upon authorities to look after prospective juniors if they are to become medal winners at international level one day.