Sports
Yupun enters World Championship qualifying fray with a superb start
by Reemus Fernando
National record holder of the men’s 100 metres Yupun Abeykoon produced a superb sprint performance to commence his season proper at the World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meeting at Savona’s Fontanassa Sports Centre on Wednesday.
In a race where Marcell Jacobs also made his first 100m appearance since his Tokyo Olympic triumph, Abeykoon clocked 10.16 seconds to finish fourth. That was after the sprinter clocked a wind assisted 10.04 seconds in the heats.
His 10.04 seconds performance is the fastest sprint a Sri Lankan has run according to Sri Lanka Athletics statistician Saman Kumara Gunawardana.
In 2019 former record holder Himasha Eshan, who is currently serving a suspension, had a 10.11 seconds feat to a tailwind measured at +3.1.
With his superb season open performance, Abeykoon has entered the race to earn qualification for the World Championships which will be held in Oregon in July. The Italy based sprinter enters the fray at the 56th position in the ‘Road to Oregon 2022’ rankings.
The athletics’ showcase discipline will have 48 slots for the World Championships. While 26 spots will be filled by athletes who reach the tough qualifying standard of 10.05 seconds, the other positions will be filled according to ranking positions in the ‘Road to Oregon 2022’ list.
With the qualifying period closing on June 26th Abeykoon who also set a new Asian record in the 150 metres recently, will have just over a month to achieve the rare honour.
Currently, javelin thrower Sumedha Ranasinghe (25th) and high jumper Ushan Thiwanka are the only Sri Lankan male athletes to have secured a top position in the Road to Oregon 2022 Rankings. The US-based high jumper has come closer to accomplishing the target with back to back 2.20 metres feats. Thiwanka is currently ranked 30th on the list of high jumpers. Both athletes need to remain within the top 32 positions until June 26th to qualify for the event.
In the women’s category, steeplechaser Nilani Ratnayake is the only Sri Lankan athlete to be ranked within the top 30 places.
At the World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meeting on Wednesday where Abeykoon finished fourth, Marcell Jacobs made a victorious return winning the final in 10.04 seconds after a wind-assisted 9.99 (2.3m/s) in the heats.
Ivory Coast sprinter Arthur Cisse finished second in 10.10 seconds beating former European record-holder Jimmy Vicaut (10.12).
The New York Knicks won the National Basketball Association championship for the first time in over 50 years, sending the city and fans into a frenzy after the long-awaited victory.
The Knicks clinched the title on Saturday night against the San Antonio Spurs, 94-90, in the fifth game of the best-of-seven series.
While the game was in Texas, New Yorkers took to their hometown streets in droves to watch and celebrate the milestone for fans and the city.
Some fans also made their way to Texas where the two teams faced off at the Frost Center, the Spurs’ home arena.
Elizabeth Madigan flew to San Antonio from New York Friday night ahead of Saturday’s game.
“I’ve been waiting for this, honestly most of my life. The last time the Knicks won, I was 6 months old, and so I can’t begin to describe how excited I am. It’s been unbelievable,” she said.
“I definitely had my doubts. But we did pull it off. Knicks forever.”
This season has represented a stunning reversal of fortune for the Knicks after decades as one of the worst teams in the league. The last time they made it all the way to the finals was in 1999, also against the Spurs, who ultimately beat them. Their last finals win was even earlier, in 1973.
They held a 3-1 lead in the series heading into Saturday’s game.
One fan who only gave his first name, Max, said that winning the game away from the Knicks’ home arena in New York, Madison Square Garden, isn’t important.
“I don’t think it matters [that they won in Texas]. New York is going crazy right now and there’s a million Knicks fans here right now, so it doesn’t matter.
US President Donald Trump posted congratulations to the team and Knicks owner Jim Dolan, who invited him to game 3 of the series in New York.
“What a year it has been but, even more so, what incredible playoff wins we have all witnessed, especially the last four – Maybe the greatest in the history of basketball,” the post read.
Fans’ anticipation before the game was like a champagne bottle about to pop.
“This city is electric,” said Jake Minicucci, while waiting with friends at a Manhattan sports bar for the game to start. “I’ve never gotten so many head nods, everybody knowing we are in it for the Knicks together.”
The 50-plus year drought was very much on the minds of some Knicks fans including Daniel Brown who said the evening had the potential “to be one of the best nights in the history of this city.”
“I’ve lived here all my life, I’ve never experienced anything like this,” said the 24-year-old.
Fans celebrated into the early hours Sunday morning with crowds taking over parts of Midtown Manhattan, including several blocks near Times Square. Some subway lines were altered with trains skipping stations due to the large crowds.
“HISTORY,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote on social media.
A ticker-tape parade and ceremony at City Hall to celebrate the team’s victory is scheduled for Thursday.
Ahead of the game, Mamdani said in a post that the city was working with the Knicks to host watch parties at the Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Wollman Rink.
“As we celebrate, be responsible, look out for one another, stay safe, be smart, and make this a night that reflects the very best of our city,” the mayor said.
His call for safety came after a few instances of violence in New York against Spurs fans, including one assault that landed a fan in the hospital and another in which a fast food worker wearing a Spurs jersey was attacked, according to local reports.
Madigan said that in San Antonio, even as a Knicks fan, she felt welcome.
“Honestly, the San Antonians have been so loving and welcoming despite the obvious competition,” she said.
Ahead of Saturday’s Game 5, fans travelling to San Antonio from New York for the game were furious about possibly getting locked out of the arena.
In a note on its website for the game, Ticketmaster said purchases by those living farther than 150mi (241km) from the San Antonio arena would be cancelled and refunded without notice.
Later Ticketmaster assured fans that no tickets purchased on its platform “have or will be canceled”.
(BBC)
Dasun Shanaka produced the batting ballistics, Kamil Mishara held the innings together, and Sri Lanka’s spinners dominated the middle overs, comfortably defending their 194 for 6. This 37 run victory brings Sri Lanka level 1-1 in the series against West Indies, with one match to play on Sunday night.
Sri Lanka had been struggling at 88 for 4 in the 13th over when Shanaka joined Mishara at the crease. The pair then blasted 103 off 42 balls together to propel Sri Lanka to a commanding score of 194 for 6, hitting seven sixes and nine fours between them
Although Sri Lanka struck twice with the new ball, West Indies had still looked confident in pursuit at 89 for 2, until Sri Lanka’s spinners went to work. A run out would spark a collapse that cost West Indies six wickets for 32 runs. They struggled to recover from 122 for 8 after 15 overs. Dushmantha Chameera, who had struck early in the innings and was effective in the other phases as well, closed out the match in the 19th over, taking three wickets for 9 runs. West Indies were 157 all out, despite Rovman Powell and Shimron Hetmyer having put on 81 off 47 for the third wicket.
Although he arrived at the crease with Sri Lanka in some trouble, Shanaka was almost immediately aggressive, blasting Roston Chase’s offspin onto the roof of the Sabina Park stadium fourth ball, before crashing him for a four and thumping another six next ball. All three of these boundaries came through deep midwicket. He also struck a huge six down the ground, and hooked a ball over fine leg as well, as he stormed to a 19-ball fifty. This equalled his own record for fastest Sri Lanka men’s half century in T20Is. There were also five fours in his 58 off 24, the most memorable of which was a four over extra cover, also off the bowling of Springer.
Having come to the crease in the fifth over, Mishara remained unbeaten until the close. He took a while to get going as wickets fell around him. He only found his first boundary off the 16th ball he faced. But having sauntered to 22 off 23 after 15 overs, he took cues from Shanaka and unleashed some big hitting of his own at the death. He took a particular liking to the bowling of Matthew Forde, whom he walloped twice down the ground in the 17th over. He finished with 61 not out off 40.
Sri Lanka struck twice in the first 10 balls to have West Indies at 9 for 2, but Hetmyer and Powell soon revived the chase, striking judicious boundaries through the powerplay before looking to up the scoring rate in the middle overs. They looked like they were putting the hosts on track for a series win when they reaped 18 runs off the eighth over, bowled by Maheesh Theekshana, then 11 off the next one bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga. But on a track taking a little spin, they had some close calls, particularly Hetmyer who was bowled by Theekshana in the ninth over. However, that delivery turned out to be a no-ball.
It took a run out from Pavan Rathnayake to break the Hetmyer-Powell stand, but the spinners soon took the chase by the collar. Theekshana had Powell caught off the leading edge in the 10th over, then Hasaranga struck twice in two balls to remove Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd in the 13th over, his googly proving dangerous again. Dunith Wellalage and Chameera – who had both struck with the new ball – continued to strike. By the time West Indies arrived at the 16th over, they were already eight down, with a required rate approaching 15. Hasaranga and Chameera closed the innings out, finishing with three wickets apiece.
SCORES:
Sri Lanka 194 for 6 in 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 31, Kamil Mishara 61*, Kamindu Mendis 24, Dasun Shanaka 58; Matthew Forde 2-38, Shamar Joseph 3-32, Shamar Springer 1-40) beat West Indies 157 in 18.5 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 36, Rovman Powell 43, Sherfane Rutherford 13, Roston Chase 17, Akeal Hosein 14, Shamar Joseph 11*; Dunith Wellalage 2-28, Dushmaantha Chameera 3-09, Maheesh Theekshana 1-34, Wanidu Hasaranga 3-38) by 37 runs
(Cricinfo)
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