Sports
Sri Lanka Athletics announces the fate of future events
While none of the athletes could reach tough qualifying standards for the quadrennial games in Tokyo on the wet weather hampered day, junior athlete Tharushi Karunaratne (881) reached qualifying standards for the World Under-20 Championships to be held in Nairobi.
by Reemus Fernando
Sri Lanka Athletics will conduct a special Selection Trial to choose athletes for the World Under-20 Championships to be held in Kenya in the event of the Junior Nationals being cancelled due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
Sri Lanka Athletics reiterated yesterday that it will conduct the remaining events of the 99th National Championships after giving one month prior notice and will conduct a selection trial for juniors in July.
“We will conduct all remaining 29 events of the National Championship in three or four stages when normalcy returns,” Palitha Fernando, the president of Sri Lanka Athletics told The Island on Monday.
There was uncertainty regarding the disciplines which were not conducted during the first stage of the National Championship. The Sri Lanka Athletics had earlier scheduled the 99th National Championship to be conducted in four stages over four weekends starting from the May 22 and 23 weekend. The newly imposed travel restrictions due to the Covid 19 pandemic have made it impossible to conduct the events in the immediate future. When the sport’s governing body decides to conduct events the athletes will be given prior notice.
“As you are aware we have postponed the Junior National Championship due to the present pandemic situation. The fresh dates will be informed in due course and we will give minimum six weeks for preparation for athletes and coaches,” Fernando said.
The track and field governing body conducted the first stage of the 99th National Championship on Friday prioritizing Olympic targeted events. While none of the athletes could reach tough qualifying standards for the quadrennial games in Tokyo on the wet weather hampered day, junior athlete Tharushi Karunaratne reached qualifying standards for the World Under-20 Championships to be held in Nairobi.
So far three athletes have reached qualifying standards for the World Under-20 Championships. Holy Cross College, Gampaha athlete Shanika Lakshani and Ratnayake Central runner Karunaratne in the 800 metres and Asian Youth Championship medallist Isuru Kaushalya in the 400 metres have reached qualifying standards for the World Under-20 event.
Sri Lanka Athletics is looking forward to conduct the Junior Nationals Championship to give opportunities to those who have trained under trying circumstances due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
In the event of the Junior National Championship being cancelled, a Selection Trial will be held for a selected number of events.
“There are few athletes who are on the verge of qualifying standards for the Junior World event. In worst-case scenario a selection trial will be held for a selected number of events to pick a team,” said a senior official.
(Cricbuzz)
By A Special Sports Correspondent
All eyes will be on new entrants to rugby ‘Sri Lions Sports Club’ when they debut in the 2024/25 Inter-club league rugby tournament in Kandy on Sunday (December 15). Sri Lions are slated to take on last season’s league tournament runners-up Kandy Sports Club at the Nittawela grounds. Despite Sri Lions SC being new to domestic rugby, a thriller is expected; as the team is packed with players who are well drilled at training and the other reason being all players possess an IRB Level 1 qualification.
Sri Lions SC’s entry into division 1 rugby was not smooth. Many clubs opposed their promotion to the top league in the domestic tournament. Rugby sources told ‘The Island’ that despite the opposition shown by some clubs, Sri Lanka Rugby and other prominent sports authorities in Sri Lanka had to grant the new entrants their due place in the top league. This was largely because Sri Lions SC had made progress through the proper channel by winning the B Division rugby tournament last season.
Dr. Kelum Sujith Perera, the founder chairman of Sri Lions SC, was quoted in the newspapers saying that the club’s priority was centred around professionalism and transparency and that the club was committed to contributing to rugby development in Sri Lanka.
The club boasts of having in their line up comprising 12 former national players and a horde of talented ex-schoolboy players who have recently finished their academic commitments on a high.
The other matches scheduled for the first week of club rugby are: Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club vs CH&FC at Ratmalana (December 13), Army Sports Club vs Police Sports Club at Panagoda, Navy Sport Club vs Havelocks SC at Welisara (Both matches on December 14).
CR&FC will be one of the teams to watch this season given that they are the reigning league rugby champions. The side is led by Gemunu Chethiya. The club upgrading their stadium to have floodlight facilities should elevate player thinking to another level. The other club to offer floodlight facilities for domestic rugby matches is Havelocks SC. However CR will not have a match in the opening week of the tournament.
Last season’s league runners-up Kandy SC are led this season by seasoned scrum half Srinath Sooriyabandara who counts years of experience playing in domestic and overseas tournaments. The side is coached by Fazil Marija. Kandy SC’s dominance in domestic rugby was broken last season and much is expected of the side from Nittawela, which is going through a team building phase at present.
CH&FC is a dangerous side to play against when the team members are gelled and focused. Last season the side finished fourth. This season the Gymkhana Club is led by Janidu Dilshan.
Havelocks SC led by Abdullah Faiz is set to finish on a high this season. The Park Club finished third in the league rugby tournament last season. Police SC, which had to be satisfied winning the ‘Plate Championship’ in the league tournament last season, will be another strong contender vying for honours . The side is led for the second consecutive year by third row forward Mohan Wimalaratne.
The other sides in the tournament are Army SC, Air Force Sports Club and Navy Sport Club.
The tournament is conducted by Sri Lanka Rugby, the governing body for the sport in the island. Rugby sources reveal that an SGM has been called on December 20 for clubs to attend with the motive of announcing the date for the much looked forward to Annual General Meeting of SLR. According to International Rugby regulations, SLR has to have it’s AGM before January 31 next year.
SLTA Hard Court Nationals
Revaan Amarasinghe and Shennon Senadheera reached the Under 12 boys singles final as they edged out their semi-final opponents at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association Hard Court Tennis Nationals at the SLTA courts on Thursday.
Amarasinghe of S.Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia beat Nuren Wevita 6-1, 6-1 in his semi-final.
In the other semi-final, Wesley’s Shannon Senadheera beat Yonal Dankumbura 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Results : Under 14 Boys quarter-final
Jayan Sebastian beat Buvidu Jayawardana 6-4, 6-3.
Damsath Peiris beat Thuvakar Sathiees 6-3, 6-4.
D. Wickramasinghe beat Umar Wayis 6-3, 6-1.
Under 18 Boys’ semi-final
Louis Knese beat Ganuka Fernando 6-4, 6-3
Women’s Singles quarter-final
Rukshika Wijesuriya beat Sandithi Usgodaarachchi 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
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