Sports
Thivanka shatters Manjula Kumara’s national record
Produces third best performance in the world this year
by Reemus Fernando
Former Maris Stella College, Negombo athlete Ushan Thivanka was awarded a car when he was adjudged the best athlete of the National Sports Festival in 2019. Months later he sold it and utilized that money to enter a university in the USA. But an athlete nursing an injury would not be granted a full scholarship. Odds were against him. Ushan, the only son of polio victim parents, had an injury to overcome, exams to pass while pursuing the lifetime ambition of achieving success in the high jump.
Yesterday, Thivanka shattered the 16-year old national high jump record held by Manjula Kumara at the Texas Relays Championship with a performance that would rank as the world’s third best outdoor performance of the year.
Thivanka cleared 2.28 metres to win the event as he bettered Manjula Kumara’s 2004 mark by one centimeter.
Thivanka, who, earlier this month shattered Olympian Kumara’s indoor national record, was competing in his first outdoor event of the year.
“I am happy to have achieved this feat. And also I am relieved as I have exams to concentrate seriously. Failing them would deny me the chance to compete. Now even if I clear 2.25 metres at the next meet that would be enough I suppose for me to win an Olympic spot through world rankings,” said Thivanka in an interview with The Island yesterday.
“I have a really tough schedule. I have to study, train and also to earn some money for both my studies and to see to my parents’ wellbeing. I collect plastic bottles (to be recycled) to earn some money after the universities cut on the scholarship due to Covid 19 pandemic,” said Thivanka.
Thivanka also recalled how he bargained for the scholarship in the US and how he had to spend his own funds to find treatments for his injury in China.
“I did not fully recover after the treatments in China. But I could do well at the National Sports Festival due to the treatments received in China. I decided to sell the car which I received as the gift for the best athlete at the 2019 National Sports Festival to pursue higher education and high jump. I had no hesitation at all as I knew that I could overcome my injury in the USA.”
Thivanka first went to the USA in 2018 and Olympian and Asia Games medallist Nagalingam Ethirweerasingham influenced him to take up higher education in that country where Manjula Kumara also graduated.
Ethirweerasingham, who has followed Thivanka’s progress in the USA closely was the first to predict that the champion athlete has the potential to break Manjula Kumara’s record before June this year and strive for an Olympic berth.
The World Athletics has set a very high qualifying standard of 2.33 metres for Tokyo Olympics. While 12 athletes will be selected from qualifying standards, 20 other athletes reaching top world rankings will be eligible for the postponed games.
Six-a-side school cricket is set to make a high-profile return to Moratuwa when the Old Boys’ Association of Prince of Wales’ College stages the Prince of Wales’ College 150th Anniversary Inter-School Sixes Cricket Tournament on August 29 and 30 at the De Soysa Stadium.
The two-day tournament is one of the major sporting attractions of the College’s historic 150th anniversary celebrations and
will bring together 16 leading school cricket teams for a knockout competition.
The tournament is aimed at reviving the excitement of six-a-side cricket, a format renowned for its fast pace and spectator-friendly nature, which has not featured regularly in major inter-school competitions in recent years.
The Old Boys’ Association believes the 150th anniversary provides the ideal opportunity to bring the format back to the forefront while celebrating Moratuwa’s deep-rooted passion for cricket.
Cricket has long held a special place in the hearts of Moratuwa’s residents, while Prince of Wales’ College boasts a proud cricketing tradition that has produced several outstanding players who have gone on to represent Sri Lanka at the highest level.
The organizers expect more than 5,000 cricket enthusiasts from Moratuwa and surrounding areas to witness the tournament over the two days, turning the event into a major festival of school cricket.
The opening ceremony on August 29 is scheduled to be attended by Kusal Mendis, one of the leading cricketers produced by Prince of Wales’ College and a member of the Sri Lankan national team.
The tournament will feature 16 schools, including Royal College Colombo, St. Joseph’s College Darley Road, Thurstan College Colombo, S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda, Prince of Wales’ College Moratuwa, Moratu Maha Vidyalaya, D.S. Senanayake College Colombo, Sri Sumangala College Panadura, Richmond College Galle, Mahanama College Colombo, St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa, St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya, Wesley College Colombo, Ananda College Colombo and Mahanama College Panadura.
With the competition being played on a knockout basis, the compact format is expected to produce plenty of attacking cricket and give emerging players an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a large crowd.
Apart from the competitive aspect, the tournament is also intended to promote sportsmanship, friendship and fellowship among the participating schools.
The tournament will conclude on August 30 with a ceremonial awards presentation, with the participation of Eran Wickramaratne, distinguished invitees, representatives of participating schools, past pupils and members of the cricketing community.
The Old Boys’ Association has also expressed its appreciation to the corporate sector and event sponsors whose support has helped make the tournament possible.
Their contribution, according to the organizers, reflects the continuing partnership between Prince of Wales’ College, its alumni and the corporate community in supporting educational, sporting and development initiatives.
The six-a-side tournament is therefore expected to provide not only two days of entertaining school cricket, but also a fitting sporting celebration of 150 years of Prince of Wales’ College.
India 503/9 decl (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 115; Asitha Fernando 4-106, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-132) drew with Sri Lanka 290 (Sonal Dinusha 103, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80; Prasidh Krishna 3-52, Manav Suthar 3-85) and 429/9 f/o (Sonal Dinusha 133*, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92; Ravindra Jadeja 3-94, Manav Suthar 3-121)
American golfer Matt Gogel has been suspended for six months for betting on golf tournaments, the PGA Tour has said.
The 55-year-old competes on the PGA Tour Champions circuit which is reserved for professional golfers aged 50 and older.
Gogel did not bet on events in which he was participating but admitted to unknowingly violating PGA Tour policy by placing “small recreational wagers” in 2024 and 2025.
“I would never knowingly violate the integrity of the game of golf,” Gogel said in a statement.
“I made an honest mistake and I look forward to playing in 2027 on the PGA Tour Champions.”
He had two top-10 finishes across 18 PGA Tour Champions events in 2026 and was most recently in action during the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta where he finished tied 30th last week.
Gogel, who has earned more than $760,000 (£559,000) in prize money from Champions events, won the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 2002 – his only victory in 179 starts on the PGA Tour.
His suspension came into effect on 23 August and lasts until 22 February.
[BBC Sports]
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