Team of 12 finalized for Asian Juniors / Girls 4x100m relay omitted

By www.ceylonathletics.com | May 8, 2018 | AJAC, English, Latest News

Athletics Association (AASL) has finalized a team of only 12 athletes for the forthcoming Asian Junior Athletics Championship (AJAC) to be held from 7 to 10 June at Gifu, Japan.

All Sri Lankan Gold medalists at the South Asian Junior Athletics Championship (SAJAC) concluded last Sunday at Sugathadasa Stadium have been included in the team, except the girls’ 4x100m relay team, which has raised several eyebrows.

The girls’ 4x100m relay quartet comprising of Amasha de Silva, Sharmila Jan, Shelinda Jansen and Safiya Yamic, clocked 46.23 seconds to win the Gold medal in a thriller on Saturday, beating the strong Indian team. They also shattered the meet record, as well as the Sri Lanka junior record of 46.28 seconds set 24 years ago in 1994 by a team which included Damayanthi Dharsha and Susanthika Jayasinghe, proving they are the best junior 100m relay team SL has ever produced. However, it was evident they have to improve on their baton change, which cost them valuable seconds; otherwise they could have further improved their timing.

When analyzing the last seven Asian Junior Athletics Championships, this team is in the medal range for four of them, while in the Gold medal range of the 2012 edition.

Also, with the fastest 100m runner Amasha de Silva already included in the 4x400m relay team, only four more athletes are needed to make up the 4x100m relay team. Yet AASL has omitted the relay team by including only 12 members, which also covers two 4x400m relay teams.

As Ceylon Athletics learns the quota for Sri Lanka at the Asian Junior Championship is 6, and SL has to pay 200 USD per day for each extra person, which could be one of the reasons AASL opted to limit the team to 12 athletes. Sports Minister Faiszer Musthapha, too, earlier instructed AASL to send only athletes with definite medal prospects for international championship from now onwards.

Team includes Sprinter Aruna Darshana of Weerakeppetipola NS, Akuramboda, who won Gold medals in the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay at SAJAC. His time of 46.55 seconds in the 400m is better than the time of Gold medalists of previous editions at the Asian Junior Championship, while being ranked junior number one in Asia at the moment. Aruna will carry Sri Lankan hopes of another Gold in the event at the Asian Junior championship, which Sri Lanka last won in 2012 when Dulaj Madushanka won the Gold medal in Colombo.

Pasindu Kodikara, another sub 47 seconds 400m runner, will also compete in the 400m. Hailing from Maliyadeva College Kurunegala, Pasindu clocked 46.70 seconds as his personal best in the 400m. He won the Silver medal at SAJAC behind Aruna, while winning the Gold medal in the 400m hurdle clocking 52.36 seconds with a new meet record and qualifying for IAAF World Championship participation.

Nalandian Pabasara Niku, the 400m Bronze medalist at SAJAC, has a personal best of 47.17 seconds and joins the team as a member of the 4x400m relay team. He has also qualified for the IAAF World Junior Championship.

Ravishka Indrajith from St.Benedict’s College is the final member of the 4x400m relay team. He ran the third leg of the record breaking run last Saturday at SAJAC. Rathnayaka CC Walala middle distance specialist Harsha Karunarathne will compete in the 800m, while also being the reserve athlete of the 4x400m relay team. The Silver medalist at last year’s Asian Junior Championship clocked below 1 minute 51 seconds at the senior trials, running a tactical race to win the Gold medal at SAJAC, proving he got the legs and brains, which is required for the 800m event.

High Jumper from Mahinda College Galle Tharindu Dasun will be the other member of the boys’ team. Dasun, who trains under Olympian Manjula Kumara Wijesekara, leapt 2.11m at the last senior trials, but could jump only 2.04m at SAJAC, even though he managed to win the Gold medal. His participation will be finalized after assessing 8his performance at this Saturday’s senior trials on the 29th.

Amasha de Silva, the sprinter from Swarnamali GC Kandy, who won four Gold medals and Dilshi Kumarasinghe who won three Gold medals, will be the ones to watch at the Asian Juniors. Amasha will compete in the 100m, 200m and 4x400m relay, while Dilshi will compete in the 400m, 800m and 4x400m relay events. Both athletes won Gold at SAJAC.

Dilshi hailing from A. Rathnayaka CC Walala has qualified for the IAAF World Junior Championship in both events, as she clocked National junior record of 2 minutes 07.73 seconds in the 800m and 54.36 seconds in the 400m. Both timings are in medal range of the events, while the relay team, too, can eye a podium finish as they beat India, the Gold medalist of the two previous editions, at Asian Juniors.

Lyceum Wattala’s Romeshi Attidiya and Sachini Divyanjali, together with Sandumini Chaviprabhavi from St. Joseph’s BV Kegalle, will make the rest of the relay team.

Long Jumper from Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda Ridma Nishadhi is the other member of the team.

Team:

Boys:

Aruna Darshana (200m, 400m, 4x400m)

Pasindu Kodikara (400m, 4x400m)

Pabasara Niku (400m,4x400m)

Ravishka Indrajith (4x400m)

Harsha Karunarathne (800m, 4x400m)

Tharindu Dasun (High Jump)

Girls:

Amasha de Silva (100m, 200m, 4x400m)

Dilshi Kumarasinghe (400m, 800m, 4x400m)