The Athletics Association has finalized a team of 16 athletes with the inclusion of a women’s 4x400m relay team for the forthcoming Asian Athletics Championship in Qatar from 21-24 April.

The team includes nine athletes who achieved the specified tough qualifying standards, which were prepared taking into consideration the average Bronze medal timings, while five others who came very close to the qualifying standards too have been included.

Apart from that, second and third place finishers in the women’ s 400m, Dilshi Kumarasinghe and Upamalika Rathnakumari, were included as members of the 4x400m relay team, while 800m runner Gayanthika Abeyrathne has been named as a reserve athlete for the relay.

Nadeesha Ramanayaka, Dilshi Kumarasinghe, Nimali Liyanarachchi and Upamalika Rathnakumari are set to compete in the women’s 4x400m relay, and the team has the potential to break the present Sri Lanka record of 3 minutes 35.42 set 20 years ago. It’s been 06 years since a Sri Lanka female 4x400m relay team competed in a high calibre international competition other than the South Asian Games. The SL team last competed in the 2013 Asian Championship in Pune.

Sprinter Vinoj Suranjaya de Silva, who clocked 10.27 seconds in the 100m, has been named subject to fitness as he fractured his arm during training last week and underwent treatment at the General Hospital which kept him from competing in second trial. Injury to Vinoj and an unimpressive timing in the 100m relay at the trials resulted in AASL dropping the men’s 4x100m relay team, as apart from Himasha and Vinoj none of the other athletes able were able to clock under 10.5 seconds.

Injury to 400m runner Aruna Darshana and unimpressive performance from the 400m relay team at the trials also saw AASL opting not to send a men’s 4x400m relay team, an event at which Sri Lanka participated in the Asian Championship right throughout and won a Silver medal in the last edition.

200m runners Rumeshika Rathnayaka and Javelin Thrower Dilhani Lekamge, Silver medalists at the 2017 Asian Championships, also miss out. Rumeshika did not compete in both selection trials which resulted in her omission, while Lekamge’s highest performance during the trials was 54.40m, while qualification standard was 57.0m.

Defending 800m Gold medalist Nimali Liyanarachchi and 800m Silver medalist Gayanthika Abeyrathne, are the only former Asian Championship individual medalists, have been included in the team. Ajith Premakumara who won silver medal in 4x400m relay team in 2017 will compete in the 400m this time. The team is awaiting approval by the Minister of Sports Harin Fernando.

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1st Trial results

2nd Trials results 

Asian Championship 2017 results 

Men’s Team

Himasha Eashan (100m)

Vinoj Suranjaya de Silva (Subject to fitness – 100m, 200m)

 

Ajith Premakumara (400m)

Rusiru Chathuranga (800m)

Hemantha Kumara (1500m)

Sumedha Ranasinghe (Javelin Throw)

Prasad Wimalasiri (Long Jump)

Danushka Sandaruwan (Long Jump)

Greshan Dhananjaya (Triple Jump)

Women’s Team

Nadeesha Ramanayaka (400m, 4x400m)

Nimali Liyanarachchi (800m, 4x400m)

Gayanthika Abeyrathne (800m, 4x400m)

Vidusha Lakshani (Triple Jump)

Nilani Rathnayaka (3000m Steeple Chase)

Dilshi Kumarasinghe (4x400m)

Upamalika Rathnakumari (4x400m)