Boy’s to watch – Junior National Athletics Championships 2018

100m Boys

Fastest junior athlete in Sri Lanka is to be determined at the 100m in the last day of the championships (26th of April). So far Sri Lankan junior athletes have performed well in this event at international levels.
Upcoming sprinter from Gateway College Asiri Wijesekara is the current leading athlete in 100m. He has clocked 10.76 in the 2017 season. But, to be the fastest junior athlete in Sri Lanka in 2018 won’t be an easy task for him with the rest.
TM Suraj Dinusha from the Embilipitiya Moraketiya MV who was a semi finalist at the Asian Youth Championships 2017 at Thailand is ranked 2nd only behind to Asiri. Suraj’s best recorded time at the JNC 2017 of 10.87 was when he won the under 18 gold medal.
Chanuka Sandeepa 10.89 (Mari’s Stella C) and Chamod Yodhasinghe 10.90 (St. Mary’s C- Kegalle) too are in the battle to be the fastest junior in Sri Lanka.
It is very rare to find three athletes from same school in a swift battle to be the best. However it’s now real. Student athletes from St. Benedict’s College Kotahena in action – Yohan Silva 11.00, Under 16 JNC record holder Sahan Rajapaksa and semi finalist at the IAAF World under 18 Championships in 200m Shalika Santhush shouldn’t be out of contention.
More or less, there will be new faces in this sweet battle but with the facilities had in the past couple of years it could affect these young athletes.

200m Boys

Half lap race which Sri Lanka holds the South Asian Junior Record is another event that shouldn’t be missed.
Best junior Quarter miler in Sri Lanka Aruna Darshana (Weerakeppetipola NS) also can finish a fast 200m before the others. He proved it by clocking 21.63 as the top performance in the junior category. However, Benedictine Shalika Santhush will not make it an easy task for anyone to beat him. He has already bettered the Sri Lanka under 18 record for the 200m twice and qualified for 200m semi finals at the IAAF World Under 18 Championships in Kenya with a 21.72 which is the current Sri Lanka under 18 record.
Mari’s Stella athlete Chanuka Sandeepa has already clocked a sub 22.00 seconds (21.99) is also in action to improve his best. Asiri Wijesekara fastest junior in 2017 was also the former national record holder in the under 18 200m has a PB of 21.88 and should not be neglected. There are many more sprinters in the field to show their talents at the JNC 2018.

400m Boys

One lap race is one of powerful events in Sri Lanka at continental level.
At this junior National Championships boy 400m undoubtedly will me a nail biter race. Aruna Darshana from Weerakeppetipola CC clocked an impressive 47.19 for which he was in the top 8 in Asian Junior rankings. Other than him, Pasindu Kodikara from Maliyadeva College Kurunegala too has clocked below 48.00. He ran a 47.79 in 2017 season.
Two Nalandians Pasindu Mihiranga timed 48.01 is ranked 3rd among junior athletes in Sri Lanka; Pabasara Niku has achieved 48.31 as well.
JNC under 18 400m record holder Benedictine Tiran Ravishka who also qualified for the semi final round at the IAAF World Under 18 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya is one to keep an eye on racing with seniors at the JNC 2018.
Product of WALALA CC Harsha Sandaruwan silver medalist at the Asian Youth Championships in 800 in 2017 (48.85) is the 8th junior athlete to finish the one lap race below 49.00 seconds.
Apart from these leading athletes there will be many more to make this race exciting and make it into the junior national team in the individual race and the 400m relay.

800m Boys

Half mile or two lap race we should not neglect. Sri Lanka holds the South Asian Games record in this event made by Ranjith Subasinghe in 1993 with a time of 1:47.56.
At the Asian Junior Championships Sri Lanka has won a bronze medal in this event in the 2008 edition by Janaka Weerasinghe (Walala CC) with a performance of 1:53.53.
At the Asian Youth Athletics Championships in 2017 another fine athlete from Walala CC Harsha Sandaruwan won a silver medal with a photo finish determining the result. Harsha and the Indian athlete clocked identical times of 1:54.99.
Afterwards Harsha improved his best to 1:54.30 at a local competition and ranked him as the top performer for the event among Sri Lankan juniors.
Pasindu Mihiranga who also ranked 3rd in 400m is eying to be the top in the 800 has a PB of 1:54.44. He is currently in second position behind Harsha. Peterite Isuru Lakshan (1:54.48) and Poorna Sandamith (1:54.67) from Rahula College Matara are also in contention and both have very close timings.
Running Jumping or throwing is not limited to towns or sophisticated areas, CK Aravinthan from Saraswathi CC Mahiyangana too has clocked 1:56.83. He would definitely try to take some of the glory to his area by getting selected for the SAJAC by finishing among the top 3 at the JNC 2018.

110m Hurdles Boys

Speed with highly technical background make an athlete perfect on hurdles.
Sheshan Kariyawasam from St. Joesphs College Maradana is upcoming athlete who is erasing Randeniya’s junior records. Sheshan became 5th at the Asian Youth Athletics Championships with 14.21 seconds in youth height. With that foreign experience he was qualified to Commonwealth Youth Games in Bahamas last year. With impressive time of 13.91seconds he finished 4th. He bettered his time again to 13.90 and owned national under 18 record.
At the JNC 2018 he will compete on under 20 hurdle event for the first time. No one knows what he can do on that.
High Jump Boys
At the Asian continent and South Asian Sub continent level Sri Lanka is doing well in high Jump.
Currently Tharindu Dasun of Mahinda College Galle is the leading junior in High Jump clearing 2.07m. CV Kasturiarachchi of St. Thomas College Mt. and Chilaw St. Mary’s athlete Sanju Tharaka too cleared 2.00m. This trio and other young athletes who is challenging gravity in contention to get in to the team Sri Lanka for Junior SAF and Asian Championships.

Long Jump Boys

Long jump is one of two horizontal jumping events in athletics. With different technical aspects long jump is a very popular event among Sri Lankans not only that it is the most improved event in past three years.
The competition will be a very tight one. Already 5 junior jumpers posted over 7m jumps and they all are in 11cm difference.
Richmondite Irusha Malinda jumped 7.13m at the top and next Asian Youth Championship participant Pramod Madubash is just shy 4cm to Malinda. Sasindu Nuwinda from Sri Piyarathana CC is in 3rd with 7.05m performance. Another athlete from Richmond College Galle has jumped 7.03m. The 5th junior over 7m mark is BGMH Jayatissa from St. Benedicts College Kotahena with a performance of 7.02.
Though already 5 juniors sailed over 7m there may be more at the JNC 2018. Perhaps younger athlete Hirusha Abeysekara who jumped 6.74m in 2017 will celebrate his 15th birthday only in this 2018. He might challenge all his seniors to achieve the ticket.
Surely there will be a nail biting competition, therefore you should not miss boys long jump.

Shot put / Discus throw Boys

Male throwers are yet to impress at the international level, but they are working on it. Left hander Lahiru Keshan from Rathnaloka MV Rakwana is leading in both events in junior rankings. He tossed the 6KG shot to 14.55m and 1.75KG discus to 43.85m. Anyhow Younger brother of former junior number one shot putter Malinda Meththasinghe, Manesh Malintha from Thaldeka St. Rita’s College hurled the 5kg shot 16.42m bettering his brothers record in 2017 puts the 6kg shot for the first time at JNC 2018. Manesh has a 42.72m in 1.5KG discus which led him to be on the top in under 18 category. Also Royalist Savinda Dissanayake who did 16.03m in 5kg will be in action with 6kg under 20 implement at JNC 2018.
Not only them, there will be more to in action to pursue their strength to become the strongest junior athlete in Sri Lanka.

Javelin throw boys

Javelin throw recently took Sri Lanka to world level. Following the seniors juniors also doing same as the seniors. Prasanna Ranawaka of St. Benedicts C ollege is leading junior rankings with 62.70m and he is only 60m thrower in junior category. Vazian athlete Sanith Anjana established new Sri Lanka record in under 18 boys javelin throw with 700g implement with 65.29m and Asian Youth Championship participant Charuka Rukshan of St. Mary’s Chilaw with 63.54m are also in contention surely there will be a high competition in boys javelin throw.

Analysis Report By Sameera Perera (AASL)