Sports
Viren and Sangeeth fastest at 30th edition of Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb
Viren Botheju driving a Mitsubishi Evo 9 clocked 33.700 seconds and Sangeeth Suriyage riding a Yamaha YZ 450F clocked 36.270 seconds to be the fastest driver and rider at the 30th edition of the Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb on Sunday [22]. Viren’s timing of 33.700 seconds was the fastest timing of the day as well.
Expecting the weather gods to play spoil sport, the competitors were restricted to a single run and were unable to achieve their best. The record for the 540 meter Eliyakanda track is held by Ashan Silva who in 2021 established a time of 31.260 seconds while this year’s winner Sangeeth Suriyage holds the record for the fastest rider with a time of 33.439 seconds set in 2023.
Fourteen Motorcar events and 16 Motorcycle events were worked off at this year’s event with the participation of 55 drivers and 147 riders
The Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb is the flagship event of the Southern Motor Sports Club and has been held continuously since the year the club was formed.
MOTOR CAR EVENTS
Event 1 SLN Ford Laser / Mazda 323 up to 1500 cc – BD, BE, BF Hatchbacks & Sedans
1 Rajith Uluwita Ford Laser 41.710
2 Minura Pinidiya Mazda BF 42.690
3 M. Dheshram Ford Laser 44.940
Event 2 SLN Ford Laser / Mazda 323 up to 1300 cc – BD, BE, BF Hatchbacks & Sedans
1 Thenuka Liyanarachchi Mazda Familia 41.870
2 Nishan Dunuwila Ford Laser 41.870
3 Chamath Palliyaguru Ford Laser 41.970
Event 3 Formula Cars Modified (Up to 1665 cc)
1 Viren Botejue Formula 1300cc 38.020
2 Nigel Perera Formula 1300 40.100
3 Rajith Uluwita Formula 1300cc 43.120
Event 4 Formula McLarens 1300cc EFI
1 Chandima Gooneratne Formula F1300 37.100
2 Pansilu Abeywickrama Formula 1300cc 38.260
3 S. T. Samarasinghe Formula Formula 38.850
Event 5 Formula Cars 1300cc Carburetor
1 Sameera de Silva Formula McLarens 42.200
2 M. G. Dilip Formula McLaren 50.410
Event 6 SLA up to 1050cc
1 Praveen Madugalle Austin Mini 39.830
2 Amir Faraji Nissan March 40.190
3 Chamika Ranatunga Nissan March 40.290
Event 7 SLX 650CC
1 Kalim Iqbal Syren RCX 38.490
2 Nadeera Jinasena Syren RCX 40.680
3 Emdad Hussain Syren RCX 43.420
Event 8 SLH Cars up to 1618cc (One make – Honda 3 door Hatch back Cars only)
1 Prageeth Pravinda Honda EG4 V Tec 37.910
2 Nigel Perera Honda EK2 38.500
3 Thushan Madusanka Honda EG 3 39.270
Event 9 SLH Subaru Legacy cars up to 2000cc
1 Shiran Dool Subaru BC5 38.130
2 Nigel Perera Subaru Legacy 39.680
3 Krishan Senaratna Subaru Legacy 44.950
Event 10 SLH Mini up to 1275 – One Make
1 Havindu Silva Austin Mini 42.430
2 Tharun Perera Austin Mini 42.700
3 Gaindu Aberathna Morris Minor 43.540
Event 11 SLH Nissan March 1300 CC – One Make (5 Door Cars Allowed)
1 S K Kisal Nissan March HK11 41.920
2 Suren Cooray Nissan March HK11 41.940
3 Dilupa Palliaguru Nissan March 42.420
Event 12 SLGT Up to 3500 cc
1 Viren Botejue Mitsubishi Evo 9 33.700
2 Darin Weerasinghe Toyota GR Yaris 36.120
3 Dasaraj Dahanayake Mitsubishi Evolution 36.410
Event 13 SLE Cars up to 1000CC – one make Nissan March (Entry Level)
1 Nesh Cooray Nissan March 41.430
2 Ranga Perera Nissan March 43.490
3 Krishan Jayasekara Nissan K11 43.720
Event 14 SLS Cars up to 1500CC
1 Dulanjana Perera Honda EG6 39.160
2 Chamika Ranatunga Nissan Micra 43.620
3 Roshitha Aluthwala Suzuki Swift 46.630
MOTORCYCLE EVENTS
Event 15 Classic Standard Motorcycle 250cc
1 Ragunathan Keshev Honda CRM 43.000
2 M. G. Sarath Kumarasinghe Honda CRM 44.040
3 Shavindu Shenal Honda CRM250 44.500
Event 16 O – Standard motorcycles over 100cc upto 160cc 4T Mono Cylinder
1 Dinusha Perera Honda CBR 150 42.900
2 Vinod Madumal Honda CBR 43.530
3 Hansika Madubashini Honda CBR 47.650
Event 17 M – Sports Touring Motorcycles 700cc 4T
1 Vinula Pathirage Triumph 39.370
2 Kevin Liyanage Triumph 765RS 41.260
3 Tharindu Dinendra Kawasaki ER400 42.260
Event 18 M – Sports Touring Motorcycle over 700cc upto 1400cc
1 Sasindu Prashansana Triumph 37.950
2 Supun Suraj Yamaha MT09 SP 41.510
3 P. D. Akila Udayangana KTM Superduke 43.450
Event 19 M – Standard Modified Motorcycles over 100cc upto 125cc (Air Cool) 4T
1 W.M.Gihan Sanjeewa Honda JX 125 44.770
2 J. M. Manjula Jayasundara Honda JX 45.510
3 Sanjeewa Udayakumara Honda JX 125 46.160
Event 20 M – Standard Modified Motorcycles over 100cc upto 125cc 2T
1 W.M.Gihan Sanjeewa Yamaha TZR 42.060
2 Shashika Chamodya Yamaha TZR 42.480
3 T. A. Rusith Shamika Yamaha TZR 43.800
Event 21 M – Standard Modified Motorcycles over 175CC upto 200cc 4T
1 M. G. Sarath Kumarasinghe TVS 41.950
2 Ragunathan Keshev TVS Apache RTR 42.210
3 D Sadeepa Munasinghe TVS 46.420
Event 22 M – Standard Modified Motorcycles over 175cc upto 250cc 4T Supersports
1 Nipun Dilanka Honda CBR 250 37.180
2 Nikila Pathirage Honda CBR 250 37.280
3 Janaka Dinesh Honda CBR 250 38.500
Event 23 M – Standard Modified Motorcycles over 400cc upto 600cc 4T Supersports
1 Vinula Pathirage Honda CBR 600 36.410
2 Nipun Dilanka Honda CBR 600 38.900
3 Lahiru Randeep Hansa Honda CBR600 39.440
Event 24 M – Standard Modified Motorcycles over 900cc upto 1000cc 4T Supersports
1 Sasindu Prashansana Suzuki GSXR1000 36.390
2 Vinula Pathirage Honda CBR 1000 37.700
3 Jeff Chi Yamaha YZF R1 38.590
Event 25 M – Standard Modified Street Trail 125cc 2T & 4T
1 Sanjeewa Kahagalla Kawasaki KDX 44.910
2 Sudesh Jayalath Husqvarna WRE 46.740
3 Hashan Bagya Yamaha DT 47.690
Event 26 M – Standard Modified Streel Trail Motorcycles over 175cc upto 250cc 2T and 4T
1 M. G. Sarath Kumarasinghe Yamaha WR 38.480
2 Maheel Pavithra Kawasaki Klx 41.930
3 Yesith Bimsara Mayadunna Yamaha Serow 250 48.950
Event 27 M – Standard Motorcycle One Make 160CC Yamaha FZ
1 G.Nadeesh Dhanushka Yamaha FZ S V2 42.310
2 W. H. Dilan Rathnayaka Yamaha FZ 44.550
3 W.M.Gihan Sanjeewa Yamaha FZ 150 47.950
Event 28 SM – Super Motard Motorcycles over 175cc upto 250cc 4T
1 Isuru Maduranga Yamaha YZF 37.490
2 Shashika Chamodya Honda CRF 38.660
3 Buddika Dinesh Yamaha YZF 39.250
Event 29 SM – Super Motard motorcycles over 250cc Open
1 Sangeeth Suriyage Yamaha YZ450F 36.270
2 Buddika Dinesh Honda CRF450R 38.780
3 H.G.W. Bhanuka Suranjan Lakmal Yamaha YZ 450F 41.430
Event 30 SM – Super Motard One Make 250cc 4T – KAWASAKI Tracker
1 Maheel Pavithra Kawasaki Tracker 37.860
2 Imesh Pathum Kawazaki Tracker 38.780
3 Ravindu Sankalpa Jayasundara Kawasaki KLX 39.330
[PDES]
Salman Ali Agha said that he would have done things ‘differently”, after Mehidy Hasan Miraz ran him out in controversial circumstances in the second ODI in Dhaka.
Agha, who made 64 from 62 balls, had been backing up at the non-striker’s end when Mohammad Rizwan drove the ball back towards him. He was still out of his ground as Mehidy swooped round behind him in an attempt to gather, and Agha had appeared ready to pass the ball back to the bowler before Mehidy reached down to grab it first and throw down the stumps.
Agha reacted furiously to the dismissal, throwing his gloves and helmet down in disgust at the decision. However, he later came to the post-match press conference, ahead of captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and player of the match Maaz Sadaqat, to clear the air.
“I think sportsman spirit has to be there,” Agha said. “What he [Mehidy] has done is in the law. I think if he thinks it’s right, it’s right, but if you ask me my perspective, I would have done differently. I would have gone for sportsman spirit. We haven’t done this [type of thing] previously, we would never do that in the future as well.”
Agha explained that he had been trying to pick up the ball to give to Miraz, thinking it was likely to have been called dead. “Actually, the ball hit on my pad and then my bat,” he said. “So I thought he can’t get me run-out now, because the ball already hit on my pad and my bat.
“I was just trying to give him the ball back. I was not looking for the run or anything like that, but he already decided [to make the run-out].”
Agha however regretted his angry reaction. “It was just heat-of-the-moment kind of stuff,” he said. “If you ask me what would I have done, I would have done things differently. But it was everything, whatever happened after that, it was in the moment.”
He was also involved in a robust exchange with Bangladesh wicketkeeper Litton Das, though he didn’t divulge many of the details.
“I can’t remember what I was saying and I can’t remember what he was saying,” he said. “I’m sure I wasn’t saying nice things, and I’m sure he wasn’t saying nice stuff as well. But it was just heat of the moment, so we are fine.
Asked if he had patched things up with Mehidy, Agha said: “I haven’t yet, but don’t worry, I’ll find him.”
Pakistan won the match by 128 runs via the DLS method.
[Cricinfo]
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix that were scheduled for next month are set to be cancelled as a result of the war in the Middle East.
A formal decision to call off the races has not yet been made but is expected before the end of the weekend.
Freight would need to start being shipped to the Middle East in the coming days. With no sign of the conflict between the US/Israel and Iran coming to a conclusion, holding the races would put personnel at too great a risk.
Neither event will be replaced, with the season being cut to 22 grands prix and F1 taking a commercial hit of more than £100m, given Bahrain and Saudi Arabia pay two of the highest hosting fees.
The race in Bahrain was scheduled to be on 12 April with Jeddah the following weekend.
Consideration was given to holding events at Portimao in Portugal, Imola in Italy or Istanbul Park in Turkey.
But it was accepted that the time to organise a race at any of those locations was too short, and there was little chance of securing a hosting fee.
The decision will mean there is a five-week break between the Japanese Grand Prix on 29 March and Miami on 3 May.
(BBC)
Royal College made steady progress in reply to their arch rivals’ first innings total as skipper Rehan Peiris and Ramiru Perera guided them to 175 for four wickets at stumps on day two of the 147th Battle of the Blues at the SSC ground on Friday.
Royal needed only 51 overs to reach their end-of-day total after S. Thomas’ College had earlier adopted a cautious approach before being bowled out for 302 runs.
Royal suffered an early setback when open batsman Hirun Liyanarachchi was dismissed for naught in the very first over, caught behind by Aaron Kodituwakku off the bowling of Gimhan Mendis.
Skipper Rehan Peiris then steadied the innings, repairing the early damage with two useful partnerships. He first added 41 runs for the second wicket with Udantha Gangewatta and followed it up with a 34-run stand for the third wicket alongside Sri Lanka Under-19 skipper Vimath Dinsara.
Dinsara struggled to find fluency during his stay at the crease, managing 11 runs off 30 balls before being trapped leg-before by Gimhan Mendis, who finished the day with two wickets.
Rehan continued to anchor the innings and produced the most productive stand of the Royal innings when he combined with Ramiru Perera for a vital 78-run partnership for the fourth wicket. The Royal skipper’s determined knock finally ended on 63 when he was dismissed by Ludeesha Matarage.
From there, Ramiru Perera and Yasindu Dissanayake ensured there were no further setbacks, batting cautiously until bad light forced the umpires to call off play.
Perera remained unbeaten on 70, an attractive innings that included ten boundaries, while Dissanayake provided solid support at the other end as Royal closed the day strongly.
Earlier in the day, resuming from their overnight score, the Thomians continued with their ultra-cautious approach, scoring at just over two runs per over. Reshon Solomon top-scored with 66 runs, while Ludeesha Matarage and Raphael Hettige chipped in with useful contributions in the twenties.
S. Thomas’ were eventually bowled out for 302 just before the lunch interval on the second day, having consumed 124 overs during their four-session first innings.
Gagan Gamage was the pick of the Royal bowlers with impressive figures of four wickets for 49 runs. He received good support from Sehandu Sooriyaarachchi, who claimed three wickets for 64 runs, while Himaru Deshan picked up two wickets for 43. Ramiru Perera also chipped in with a wicket to complete the Thomian innings.
Agha calls for ‘sportsman spirit’ after controversial dismissal
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Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara, Mannar and Anuradhapura districts after 2.00 pm.
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Promoting Local Industries is a key priority of the Government – PM
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