Sports
Tough selection standards announced for Asian Games
Sri Lanka Athletics sets plans to end medal drought
by Reemus Fernando
Sri Lanka Athletics announced tough qualifying standards for next year’s Asian Games yesterday as the track and field governing body intends to form a formidable team to end more than a decade old medal drought at the quadrennial event in Hangzhou, China.
The selection criteria compiled by the coaching committee require athletes to be in the bronze medal winning standards of the past Asian Games to be eligible for selections. The tough standards explained in a comprehensive 18-page document make it compulsory for national record performances to warrant selections in a number of disciplines.
Tough standards
To make it simple, Italy based sprinter Yupun Abeykoon, who is one of country’s top athletes has to slash five milliseconds from his national record to earn a slot to represent the country in the men’s 100 metres individual event as the qualifying standard is set at 10.10 seconds.
Despite being ranked third in Asia currently in the women’s 800 metrers, Dilshi Kumarasinghe has to break her national record with a performance of 2:01.40 seconds or faster if she is to qualify in her pet event. Nilani Ratnayake who almost qualified for Tokyo Olympics too has to produce a record-breaking feat to qualify for the 3,000 metres steeplechase.
The leading men’s 400 metres sprinter Kalinga Kumarage who reached his personal best of 45.73 seconds in Patiala in June has to further slash some 0.03 seconds from his best if he is to qualify.
Looks easy for Ushan
Based on this year’s performances an athlete who is almost certain to secure a place in the team is the US based high jumper Ushan Thivanka whose national record performance of 2.30 metres in May is above the qualifying standard (2.25m).
The performances achieved at competitions conducted by the Sri Lanka Athletics and at events recognized by the World Athletics between February 2022 and April 2022 will be considered as the deadline for entries closes on April 30, 2022.
Sri Lanka Athletics will conduct Trial meets in February and March before going for the centenary National Championships (April) which will be considered as the final selection trial.
The track and field governing body has also announced a standard to qualify for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games pools. Athletes qualifying for both the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games will also have to face compulsory trials and fitness tests where set standards have to be achieved. In the event athletes fail to reach qualifying standards the selectors will fill the given quota with the top performers closest to standards.
Sri Lanka Athletics has set a bold target of five medals to end the medal drought at the Asian Games.
While Sri Lanka failed to win medals in any sport at the last Asian Games in 2018 the country’s last medals in athletics were won at the 2006 Doha Games. While Rohan Pradeep Kumara, Rohitha Pushpakumara, Prasanna Amarasekara and Ashoka Jayasundara combined to win men’s 4×400 metres bronze, the last individual medals in athletics, women’s 100 metres silver and 200 metres bronze were won by Susanthika Jayasinghe in Doha.
By A Special Sports Correspondent
Kandy Sports Club crowned themselves as ‘Cup Championship’ winners in the inter-club league rugby tournament when they overcame their final hurdle by beating Havelocks Sports Club by 50 points to 24 at Nittawela last evening.
Kandy SC was anyway assured of the title this season before this final game of the season even began, given that they were unbeaten thus far in the league tournament. Kandy SC collected their points through seven tries, six conversions and a penalty while Havelocks Sports Club responded with a three converted tries and a penalty.
Kandy SC set the pace for the game from the kick off itself and recorded first half tries through Dinal Ekanayake, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Kenula Hettiarachchi and Dahan Wickremaarachchi and all four conversions were slotted in by Tharinda Ratwatte. Havelocks SC got most of their points in the first half through Sandesh Jayawickreme who scored a try and booted through a conversion. The penalty for the Park Club was kicked right by Samuel Maduwantha.
Kandy SC faced some resistance from Havies after the turn around, but the side from Nittawela found the try line by breaking through a barrage of tackles from the men wearing the pink and chocolate jerseys.
Dahan Wickremaarachchi started the ball rolling for Kandy with a try after the turn around which took the side’s score to 38 with the conversion. Havies played in patches thereafter and scored through Jayathu Rajaratne and Janidu Fernando. Jayawickreme was spot on with the conversions.
Kandy’s Ethen Schneider Loos smashed his way through for the side’s sixth try which was converted by Ratwatte. Kandy had the game in the bag despite Havies playing attacking rugby whenever they had possession. But the score line deference that Kandy maintained throughout the game made it hard for Havies to make a real comeback into the game.
The Nittwala side erupted in jubilation when Ekanayake punted ahead and sent crowd favourite Nigel Ratwatte for the seventh and final try. There was speculation throughout the game that this would be Nigel’s final game for the Kandy SC side. Surprisingly Tharinda missed the conversion.
At the awards presentation ceremony after the game, Kandy Sports Club’s Tharinda Ratwatte was named as the highest points scorer for the 2024/25 league rugby season. He has accumulated 139 points this season.
Havelocks Sports produced the highest try scorer for the season. That award went to Jayathu Rajaratne of Havies. He has had 16 touchdowns this season. Havelocks Sports Club had to be satisfied with the runners-up trophy at the awards presentation. Players from both sides including the coaching staff were presented with medals by the organisers of the tournament.
Meanwhile CR&FC did well in their last outing in the Cup Championship segment of the league tournament when they beat Air Force by 31 points to 16 at Longden Place.
In the two Plate Segment matches, Sri Lanka Navy beat Sri Lions by 41 points to 38 at Race Course.In the other match of the Plate segment, Police SC beat Army SC by 24 points to 17. The match was played at Police Park.
Mutthusami Sivarajan and Rasara Wijesuriya won the men’s and women’s Cross Country Championships of the National Sports Festival conducted in Nuwara Eliya.
Sivarajan representing Central Province returned a time of 34 minutes and 21 seconds to finish ahead of Samantha Pushpakumara and Damith Hemantha Kumara.
In the women’s category, Wijesuriya from Eastern Province clocked 38 minutes and 41 seconds finish ahead of Madhushani Herath and Chamini Herath.
Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ Limited Overs Cricket
by Reemus Fernando
Trinity advanced to the final of the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ Limited Overs Cricket tournament with six wickets victory over arch rivals St. Anthony’s in the semi-final played at BRC ground on Saturday.
Open batsman Dimantha Mahavithana held Trinity’s batting together with a valuable knock of 74 runs inclusive of six fours. He was out after leveling scores. Chaniru Senarathne added a fourth wicket stand of 82 runs with Mahavithana and remained unbeaten on 44.
Deciding to bowl first, Trinity did well to take three quick wickets.
Malith Rathnayake who opened bowling with Sethmika Senavirathne took three wickets as he completed his full quota of ten overs for 23 runs. Senavirathne did not take a wicket but he bowled an economical spell giving away just 20 runs in his eight overs.
Sweath Anurajeewa took three wickets for 25 runs (8 overs) while Chaniru Senarathne, Vathila Udara and Jayavi Liyanagama grabbed a wicket each.
Trinity will now meet St. Joseph’s in the final which will be played after the O/L exams.
St. Joseph’s eliminated Gurukula to book their final berth.
Trinity are in the semi-final stage of the two-day tournament as well.
Scores:
St. Anthony’s 158 all out in 50 overs (Sadew Amarakoon 31, Kaushika Kumarasinghe 35, Kevan Fernando 34n.o.; Malith Rathnayake 3/23, Sweath Anurajeewa 3/25)
Trinity 159 for 4 in 45.3 overs (Dimantha Mahavithana 74, Aadham Hilmy 22, Chaniru Senarathne 44n.o.; Ryan Gregory 2/30)
Showers in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Kandy district after 2.00 p.m.
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