Sports
Shanika caps a successful year with three meet records for Gampaha
Youth National Championships
by Reemus Fernando
Middle distance runner Shanika Lakshani capped the year 2021 with impressive performances by winning the Under 20 800 metres and the 1500 metres with new meet record marks at the Youth National Championships concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
The Holy Cross College, Gampaha athlete clocked 2:11.27 seconds to win the 800 metres and cruised to a 4:35.55 seconds finish in the 1,500 metres. She was the only athlete to run the latter distance below five minutes to erase the ten-year-old record held by Ratnapura District athlete Chamika Jayamini.
When the Gampaha District won the overall championship of the Youth National Championships for the seventh consecutive year on Wednesday, Lakshani had accounted for three track victories. She was also part of the gold medal-winning 4×400 metres relay team which also established a new meet record of 3:50.56 secs.
Re weiting the record books was expected as the athlete trained by Madhura Perera had already run faster times in both the 800 metres and the 1,500 metres.
Shanika represented Sri Lanka at this year’s Junior World Championships in Nairobi and is the current junior national record holder after smashing one of the oldest athletics records in 2020. She renewed a more than three decades old junior record held by former National Champion Dammika Menike a year ago at the same venue.
Lakshani who represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Youth Athletics Championship in 2019 is among a few dozen school athletes to have continued training despite the pandemic situation during the last two years.
The Youth National Championship concluded on Wednesday saw 12 new meet records being established. Gampaha District athletes accounted for five of them. Lakshima Mendis had a meet to remember as she established a new record in the Under 20 girls’ 400 metres. She clocked 56.00 seconds to win and was adjudged the best athlete in her age category.
Kurunegala District hurdler Kaushalya Dias was adjudged the best athlete for a feat of 14.27 seconds in the Under 20 110 metres hurdles, Kandy District long jumper Yasindu Herath who won the men’s long jump (7.52m) and Kurunegala District hurdler Kaushalya Madushani, the women’s 400 metres hurdles winner were the best athletes in the Over 20 men’s and women’s categories respectively.
(Cricbuzz)
The remainder of the tenth edition of the PSL has been moved to the UAE amid escalating border tensions between Pakistan and India. The PCB has said that the dates and venues of the remaining eight games in the PSL 2025 season would be officially confirmed in due course.
On Thursday, Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi were due to play a game at the Rawalpindi Stadium, which was rescheduled following an emergency meeting. At the meeting, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with overseas players in the league, who overwhelmingly expressed a desire to relocate the league to the UAE.
ESPNcricinfo understands that foreign players are already on their way out of Pakistan to the UAE, where the rest of the league will be played. It is likely to be several days before the next game is played as the PCB works out which venues to play the games at.
The original schedule would have seen four of the remaining games in Rawalpindi, one in Multan, and the final three in Lahore. An earlier update from the PCB had said the league would be rescheduled, but did not confirm at the time it would be taken out of Pakistan, with Karachi considered a likely option.
The PSL, now in its tenth season, is familiar with the UAE, having started there back in 2016. It was played there in full – barring the PSL 2017 final – for the first two seasons. Part of season six, in 2021, also had to be played in the UAE because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Any delays to the PSL are likely to impact Pakistan’s international calendar, too. Bangladesh are due to arrive in Pakistan three days after the PSL final, originally slated for May 18, with the first of five T20Is to begin on May 25 in Faisalabad. The PCB told ESPNcricinfo that no decision had yet been taken on the fate of that series.
(Cricinfo)
Bangladesh Under 19s won the six-match Youth ODI series 3-2 after the final Youth ODI against Sri Lanka Under 19s ended without a result due to rain at the Colts ground on Thursday.
Sri Lanka came to the final match with the hope of leveling the series but rain prevented a full match.
Deciding to bat first, the visitors were 188 for three wickets in the 40th over when rain prevented further play.
Skipper Azizul Hakim led Bangladesh with 94 runs inclusive of seven fours and two sixes. For the hosts, Tharusha Navodya, Kugathas Mathulan and Himal Ravihansa took a wicket each.
Sri Lanka Under 19s won the opening encounter by a big margin but three consecutive defeats thereafter saw the visitors take command. Sri Lanka Under 19s bounced back in the penultimate match to keep alive the series but rain spoilt their plans in the final encounter.
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