by Reemus Fernando

Several leading weightlifters including international medallists Sudesh Peiris, Indika Dissanayake and Hansani Gomez will have to compete against their own countrymen to punch their tickets for the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games when they take part in the Singapore Weightlifting International 2022 at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall in Singapore.

A team of ten weightlifters and four coaches left the country in two batches during the last couple of days to take part in the  vital event starting in Singapore today.

The weightlifting authorities forwarded names of ten male and nine female weightlifters for the Sports Ministry approval for this championship but had to settle for a pruned down team after authorities agreed to fund only a part of the team. Commonwealth Games medallist Sudesh Peiris was not in the approved list but has joined the team using his own funds to compete for a place in the team for the Birmingham Games.

With only the top athlete in each weight class from each country qualifying for the major multi sports event starting in July, Peiris and Indika Dissanayake will fight for a better ranking in the 73kg weight class. Dissanayake almost secured his place when he won a medal at the last Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Uzbekistan in December but will vie again at this championship as there is a challenge from Peiris.

Chathuranga Lakmal and Manoj Wijesinghe will compete in the 67kgs weight class, while Saman Abeywickrama and Shanaka Peters fight for a place in the 109kgs class.

Commonwealth Games medallist Hansani Gomez and Commonwealth Championship medallist Srimali Samarakoon will vie for honours in the women’s 49kgs class.

Young aspirant Dilanka Isuru Kumara (55kgs) and Ushan Charuka (Over 109kg) are the others competing for places.

“This is likely to be the final opportunity for Sri Lanka weightlifters to qualify for the Commonwealth Games. With only eight weight classes being competed at the games and only one athlete being selected some of our top weightlifters were provided with this opportunity,” an official from the Weightlifting Federation told The Island.

Of the athletes who competed at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in December, medallist Chinthana Vidanage and Thilanka Palangasinghe are almost assured of their tickets to the games in Birmingham and are not taking part in the championship starting in Singapore today.

Competition Categories:

Men:

55Kg, 61Kg, 67Kg, 73Kg, 81Kg, 96Kg, 109Kg, +109Kg.

Women:

49kg, 55Kg, 59Kg, 64Kg, 71Kg, 76kg, 87Kg, +87Kg.

Weightlifters:

Isuru Kumara , Chathuranga Lakmal, Manoj. Wijesinghe, Sudesh Peiris, Indika Dissanayake, Saman Abeywickrama, Shanaka Peters, Ushan Charuka, Srimali Samarakoon, Hansani Gomes.

Coaches:

R.B. Wickramasinghe, Ruckshan Gunathilaka, Nalaka Nishantha Athukorala, M.N.R. Bandara.