Aruna dazzle with Gold and new record| Dilshi ,Amasha ,Pasindu win Silver in Japan
Quarter Miler Aruna Darshana took Sri Lankan sprinting to another level by winning the gold medal and shattering the Asian Junior record while Dilshi Kumarasinghe ,Pasindu Kodikara and sprinter Amasha de Silva too secured Silver medals in the Asian Junior Athletics championship continued at Gifu,Japan yesterday.
Darshana the triple gold medalist of South Asian Juniors was favorite to win the gold medal but he did with emphatic fashion taking the Asian Junior championship record of 45.85 seconds set by Qatar’s Salah-el-Din Bakar to clocked 45.79 seconds which is also a new SL junior record, SL number one (overall) , best timing in the even by SL athlete since 2006 and . He is now also ranked 6th in the senior category of Asia in the event and ranked 8th in the World Junior ranking up to date.
Sprinter hailing from Weerakeppetipola National School,Akuramboda in the Matale District is trained by School PTI Asanka Rajakaruna reminds of Sugath Thilakarathne rise in early 1990s where Aruna who had PB of 46.55 seconds going for the championship took it apart in the finals running from 7th lane. Aruna did not had anyone nearby in the last 100m when he sprinting down for the gold where it’s was visible he had much left in the tank.
His country mate PAsindu Kodikara could not catch up with Aruna but he made sure that nobody came in between him and Aruna securing the Silver medal with another under 47 seconds mark (46.93 seconds) winning the Gold and Silver of 400m for Sri Lanka . Kodikara hailing from Maliyadeva College Kurunegala did the exact same in the last South Asian Juniors and duo will be now joined with Ravishka Indrajith and Pabasara niku in the 4x400m relay where SL is the favourite to win the Gold medal . both athletes had already qualified for the next month’s IAAF World Junior championship in both 400m and 4x400m relay
Earlier female 400m runner Dilshi Kumarasinghe started SL medal account winning the silver medal just behind Indian Olympian Jisna Mathew. Dilshi did not had best of first 300m running form the seventh lane but her late sprint secured her the Silver medal with a new personal best of 54.03 seconds. The South Asian Junior triple Gold medalist hailing from A.Rathnayaka CC Walala and trained under Susantha Fernando also renewed her own SL junior record in the event . Dilshi had already qualified for the next month’s IAAF world junior championship in both 400m and 800m events.
Kandyan Amasha de Silva who was watching her team mate dazzling with medals was up next in 100m .The Swarnamali GC Kandy athlete trains under Sanjeewa Weerakkody did not had the best of the 100m but she quickly recovered giving glimpse of another gold for SL for a second before Chinese athlete Lulu Feng managed to beat Amasha in the tape . The triple gold medalist of the south Asian juniors , Amasha settled for the silver medal renewing her personal best for the second time in the championship when she clocked 11.71 seconds behind Lulu who won the gold with just .0.03 seconds ahead (11.68 seconds).
