Sports
Shashintha, Jithma keep country’s premier track event interested
by Reemus Fernando
The men’s and women’s 400 metres have been Sri Lanka’s most productive medal winning discipline at regional track and field championships during the last few decades. Sri Lanka’s schools structure has been providing a steady supply of talented sprinters to national level to improve the profile of this discipline. This year, sprinters Shashintha Silva and Jithma Wijetunga have been the fastest in the junior boys’ and girls’ categories respectively and are showing great promise.
The St. Sebastian’s College, Kandana sprinter Shashintha produced a remarkable feat at the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium last week. Shashintha, who also won the silver medal at the South Asian Junior Athletics Championship in September clocked a stunning 47.10 seconds feat to win the Under 18 boys’ 400 metres at the Sir John Tarbat Senior Athletics Championship. It is a new National Youth record as he produced his personal best. His feat is faster than those competing in the Under 20 age category this year.
In the girls’ category, Wijetunga clocked 54.94 seconds to win the Under 20 400 metres. Incidentally, she was faster at the Sugathadasa Stadium than at the South Asian Junior Championships in India last month where she finished outside the podium. She turned tables on SAJAC bronze medallist Takshima Nuhasna to win here.
Such performances are crucial for Sri Lanka if it is to continue the medal winning form at Asian circuit.
However many promising sprinters have gone out of the radar after performing exceptionally well at junior level. It is incumbent upon authorities to keep these athletes interested in track and field events after leaving school if the country is to win medals at international level.
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele were on target as France surged past Morocco 2-0 to book their place in the World Cup semifinals.
Mbappe curled in his eighth goal of the tournament on 60 minutes on Thursday before Dembele doubled Les Bleus’ lead six minutes later to settle a clinical victory at the Gillette Stadium outside Boston.
The win sends the 2018 champions into a last-four showdown against either Spain or Belgium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday.
African champions Morocco had been tipped to pose a serious threat to France’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final.
But Didier Deschamps’ men were always in control against a limited Morocco side who failed to register a single shot on goal until an 83rd-minute free-kick by Azzedine Ounahi was parried away by France goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
France, though, struggled to find a breakthrough, and missed the opportunity to take the lead on 28 minutes when Mbappe saw a penalty saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Mbappe had won the penalty after being brought down by Noussair Mazraoui but was forced to wait several minutes before being allowed to take the kick after a protracted VAR check.
Morocco managed to hold out to half-time, but it was always only a matter of time before France’s relentless pressure paid off.
The breakthrough came on the hour mark, with Mbappe bending a brilliant right-foot shot past Bounou from the edge of the area.
Paris Saint-Germain star Dembele made the game safe in the 66th minute, striding forward menacingly from midfield before steering a low finish into the bottom corner.
France now await the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal in Los Angeles between European champions Spain and Belgium.
[Aljazeera]
111th Vision Care Colombo Championship
Aahil Kaleel of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia and Akesha Silva of Newstead College, Negombo emerged as the boys’ and girls’ Under-18 singles champions respectively at the 111th Vision Care Colombo Championship, played on Sri Lanka Tennis Association’s clay courts.
Aahil staged a remarkable comeback in the boys’ Under-18 final to defeat Rehan Gunawardhane 1-6, 6-4, 10-5 after dropping the opening set. The S. Thomas’ player enjoyed an impressive run to the title, overpowering Dehan Wickramasinghe 6-1, 6-1 in the quarter-finals before edging Mayooran Kubheran in a thrilling semi-final 4-6, 7-5, 10-7.
In the girls’ Under-18 final, Akesha Silva was crowned champion after Sahansa Damsiluni retired while trailing 1-0. Akesha booked her place in the final with a convincing 6-1, 6-4 victory over Gethmi Fernando in the semi-finals. Her toughest challenge came in the quarter-finals, where she outlasted Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 6-3, 6-7(4), 14-12 in a marathon encounter.
Akesha Silva
In the boys’ Under-18 doubles semi-finals, Mayooran Kubheran and Ashlin de Silva defeated Ranida Ranaweera and Ashmal Mohamed 5-4, 4-1, while Methika Wickramasinghe and Jayin de Seram overcame Jamal Sabry and Lithum Jayabandu 4-1, 2-4, 10-2 to set up the championship final.
Sri Lankan singer Mariazelle Goonetilleke passes away at the age of 68
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US and Iran trade attacks as Khamenei is buried
Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
Canadian PM visits Saudi Arabia to strengthen energy, mining partnerships
Mbappe and Dembele net as France beat Morocco to reach World Cup semifinal
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