Sports
Youth athletes asked to find funds to represent Sri Lanka
by Reemus Fernando
Athletes selected for the forthcoming Asian Youth Athletics Championships have been requested to find funds for their traveling and other expenses as the Ministry of Sports has halted funding teams for foreign tours.
The athletes and their schools have been informed to find funds amounting to rupees 650,000.00 per person for their travel, sources close to athletes told The Island.
“At this current situation, we are unable to provide funds for the air tickets from Colombo to Tashkent and back to Colombo. The air ticket cost will be approximately Rs. 650,000.00 per person. Appreciate, if you could kindly make suitable arrangements to provide funds and permission to participate,” Palitha Jayatilake, the Acting Secretary General of Sri Lanka Athletics has requested in a letter addressed to school principals of the respective athletes.
According to sources Sri Lanka Athletics has received the support of a benefactor to cover a segment of the funds needed for athletes to participate in this championship which will be held from April 20 to 23 in Uzbekistan.
Sri Lanka Athletics picked a team of five athletes including two who won medals at the last edition held in Kuwait.
It is the first time that the country’s athletics governing body had requested athletes to find their own expenses to represent the country as the Sports Ministry has stopped providing funds.
When contacted on this regard a senior official of the sports body said that Sri Lanka Athletics was doing its best to find funds and had requested respective schools to provide necessary funds as a precautionary measure.
The current economic situation has forced many to give up sports as the costs of sports equipment, shoes, spikes and other accessories have skyrocketed during the last one and half years. This is apart from the high costs they have to bear on nutritional needs and traveling. Sri Lanka Athletics too has increased entry fees for events conducted by them.
Although the Sports Ministry has continued to provide funds for athletes in the senior category in elite sports pools, many up-and-coming youth athletes are on the verge of giving up sports due to a lack of financial support and the absence of a system to nurture budding athletes hailing from underprivileged families.
‘Kreeda Shakthi’, a Sports Ministry programme that provided a monthly allowance for junior athletes at the District level also remains inactive since 2021.
On such a backdrop, the efforts of youth athletes who beat the odds to reach qualifying standards to represent the country should be commended and encouraged and it is incumbent upon sports authorities to provide the necessary support for them to realize their aspirations. It will be these athletes who will one day represent the country at the senior level.
Sri Lanka won five medals at the last edition of the Asian Youth Championships. Wickramabahu National School, Gampola athlete Nirmali Wickramasinghe and Lesandu Arthavidu of D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo who won medals at the last edition are among the five athletes who reached qualifying standards for this year’s edition.
Left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya has been named in Sri Lanka’s squad for the two Tests in South Africa, more than two years after he last played a Test. Offspinner Nishan Peiris, who made his Test debut against New Zealand in September, has also been included.
Ramesh Mendis, the offspin-bowling allrounder, misses out on selection, though he claimed six wickets in his only Test appearance this year. Ramesh, additionally, can bat.
Though Prabath Jayasuriya leads the spin contingent, this amounts to something of a shake-up in the ranks with Sri Lanka playing in Durban and Gqeberha, where the tracks are expected to take more turn than most South African surfaces, particularly as matches wear on.
The squad is largely as expected in the batting and seam-bowling fronts, however. Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha and allrounder Milan Rathnayake make up fast-bowling outfit. Top order batter Oshada Fernando makes it in into this squad, but Nishan Madushka – who has made a bright start in ODIs – does not.
Both Embuldeniya and Oshada have partly been picked on account of their good performances in South Africa in 2019, when Sri Lanka had also played in Durban and what was then Port Elizabeth. Embuldeniya took six wickets at 23.83 across three innings on that tour, while Oshada hit a fourth-innings 75 not out alongside Kusal Mendis to see Sri Lanka home in what could have been a tough chase. Neither player, though, has been especially impressive in domestic cricket over the last season, though Embuldeniya did have a decent outing in the four-day National Super League.
Several Test specialists are already in Durban for a pre-series training camp, overseen partially by former South Africa batter Neil McKenzie, who serves as Sri Lanka’s consultant on this trip.
The first Test is scheduled to start on November 27, in Kingsmead, Durban.
Both Sri Lanka and South Africa have a shot at finishing in the top two on the World Test Championship table.
Sri Lanka squad for Test series in South Africa
Rex Clementine at Pallekele
It’s been pure cricketing poetry watching the Sri Lankan team in action. They’re on a roll, and Tuesday night saw them bag yet another series triumph, leaving fans beaming from ear to ear. It’s hard to believe this is the same side that finished a dismal ninth in last year’s World Cup. What a turnaround—it’s like NPP sweeping the general elections. This time they have a two thirds majority. Last time they had a mere three seats.
So, what’s the secret sauce behind Sri Lanka’s resurgence? Quite a few things, actually.
The team has embraced a two-pronged approach, balancing short-term goals with long-term ambitions. The quick fixes—improving fielding, injecting energy into their game, running smarter between the wickets, prioritizing fitness, and fostering commitment—are already bearing fruit. Meanwhile, the long-term strategies, like unearthing finishers who can hit the ball out of the park and developing seam-bowling all-rounders to compete abroad, are seeds sown for future harvests. Sanath Jayasuriya is a smart man. So is Upul Tharanga.
At the heart of this success story is that dynamic duo. As Head Coach and Chairman of Selectors, they’ve been pulling the strings with precision. Their knack for picking the right personnel has been nothing short of masterful.
Take Charith Asalanka, for instance. One of the youngest players in the squad, he’s being groomed as a long term leader. The selectors borrowed a leaf out of Haroon Lorgat’s book—remember when Lorgat entrusted a 22-year-old Graeme Smith to lead South Africa? That gamble paid off spectacularly, and Asalanka seems poised to follow in similar footsteps. He commands respect, reads the game like a seasoned pro, and is tactically astute—a strong leader in the making, no doubt.
The management has also mastered the art of using the carrot and stick approach. Consider Kusal Mendis. Dropped for the Lord’s Test this September, Sri Lanka’s vice-captain received a loud and clear message: performance trumps seniority. Since then, Kusal has been a man transformed. Against New Zealand, he was the Man of the Match in the first two ODIs and, unsurprisingly, the Player of the Series.
Smart planning has been another hallmark of this team. Even as the ODI squad wrapped up their series against New Zealand, the Test team was in South Africa, undergoing a residential camp to gear up for the fiery pace of Rabada and Mulder.
Sri Lanka’s focus on developing the next generation of cricketers also deserves a standing ovation. After clinching the series against New Zealand, the team rested five senior players for the dead rubber and handed opportunities to fresh faces. This forward-thinking approach ensures the pipeline remains robust and ready for the challenges ahead.
Rewind to the start of the year, and Sri Lanka’s World Test Championship hopes were pie in the sky. The team was sinking faster than the Titanic. But fast-forward to today, and they’re on the cusp of booking their tickets to Lord’s. It’s been a turnaround for the ages.
The team’s wins haven’t been limited to home soil; they’ve triumphed away, too, in places like Bangladesh and England. What’s more, they’ve been climbing the rankings ladder across all formats, taking down teams ranked higher than them with an underdog’s grit and flair.
The glory days of Sri Lankan cricket that once seemed to be slipping through our fingers are back. This team is brimming with potential, and the horizon promises even greater feats. Rest assured, remarkable things lie ahead for this rejuvenated side.
by Reemus Fernando
Long jumpers Dilni Rajapaksha of Lyceum International Wattala and D.A.S. Samalka of Gonagala MV Gonagalpura were adjudged the best athletes for their record breaking feats as Maris Stella College Negombo and Lyceum International Wattala clinched the overall boys’ and girls’ titles of the Sir John Tarbat Junior Athletics Championship at Matara on Wednesday.
Samalka cleared a distance of 6.54 metres to create a new meet record in the Under 14 boys’ long jump.
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- Dilni Rajapaksha receiving her award from Nilupul de Silva general manager marketing CBL FOODs.
Dilni Rajapaksha won the Under 15 girls’ long jump with an outstanding feat of 6.04 metres which shattered the meet record. Rajapaksha winning the title was a foregone conclusion as she had already turned tables on seniors at All Island competitions.
Nethra Ranasinghe of Gateway College Negombo was recognized for her outstanding performance in the Under 15 girls’ 400 metres. She clocked 61.55 seconds to win yesterday and that was adjudged the best 400 metres feat in either category of the three-day event.
Maris Stella were awarded the overall boys’ title as they accumulated 82 points. Their closest rivals were St. Benedict’s who settled for the runner up position with 67 points. St. Joseph’s College, Darley Road (42), Lyceum International Wattala (32) and Thurstan Colombo (31) finished third, fourth and fifth respectively.
Lyceum Wattala aggregated 60 points to win the girls’ overall title. Ave Maria Convent Negombo were the runners up with 51 points.
Sujatha Vidyalaya, Matara (38), Vidyaloka MV, Balangoda (35) and Vijitha MV Dickwella (32) finished third, fourth and fifth respectively.
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- Nethra Ranasinghe returned a time of 60.7 seconds to win the Under 15 girls’ 400 metres.
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- D.A.S. Samalka of Gonagala MV Gonagalpura established a new meet record in the Under 14 boys’ long jump.
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