101st National Athletics Championships  

The men’s and women’s 400 metres heats, the men’s javelin throw and the women’s long jump are among the most looked forward to events on day one of the 101st National Athletics Championship which commences at the Sugathadasa Stadium today.

The men’s 400 metres titles of the national championship have been shared by Kalinga Kumarage and Aruna Dharshana during the last five years, with the former completing a hat trick at the centenary championship last year. It will be a huge upset if someone other than these two clinches the title this time as both have shown steady progress during the last few months.

The intense competition in the men’s 400 metres has powered the country’s 4×400 metres relay team to the top of the Asian region. The likes of Pabasara Niku, Rajitha Rajakaruna and Dinuka Deshan have given the track and field fraternity new hopes though they are yet to challenge Kumarage and Dharshana. It will be interesting to watch as to who would share the medals in this edition. Whoever shares them they will be teaming up again to take on India in the 4×400 metres relay on Sunday.

The men’s javelin throw national record holder Sumeda Ranasinghe is yet to deliver a throw of over 80 metres this year. The Rio Olympic participant could not qualify for the recently held Asian Championships. He will be eager to showcase his prowess and win what would be his sixth national title. He had been hardly challenged by his local counterparts during the last couple of years. Will he come out of his comfort zone when he is challenged by the formidable Indian throwers?

Sarangi Silva could not live up to her billing at the recently held Asian Athletics Championships.  She could not beat the six metres mark in the women’s long jump in Thailand. The 26-year-old will be eager to make amends as she has to justify her selection for the upcoming Asian Games. Last year she became eligible to compete at the World Championships but she skipped the global event to concentrate on the Commonwealth Games. This time it will be an uphill task for her to qualify after missing the opportunity to gain valuable ranking points at the Asian Athletics Championships. Reaching qualifying standards for the World Championships before the deadline expires on July 30th remains one of the main targets of top athletes taking part in these championships.

The three-day event will feature strong teams from India and Maldives after the sport’s governing body invited their neighbours to give local athletes the aura of international competition.