Athletes produce four more Golds

After two slow days in the Gold medal count, the athletics team produced four stunning Gold medals on day three of athletics .

Hurdler Lakshika Sugandhi produced the first Gold medal of the day, winning the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.68 secs. This was the first Gold medal in the 100m hurdles since Shriyani Kulawansa won some years back. This was Sugandhi’s second medal in the Games as she won a 100m Bronze on day one with a personal best time of 11.84 seconds, and will be back to make a bid for a Gold medal with the 4x100m relay team. Former Gateway College athlete Ireshani Rajasinghe had a disastrous race, as she slowed down thinking it was a foul start, but when she realized it wasn’t, the race was more or less over, but like a bulldog the plucky lass did not let go and finished third to clinch the Bronze medal.

Asian Junior Champion Aruna Darshana produced the 400m Gold medal with a time of 46.69 seconds, while Lakmal Priyantha won the bronze (46.79 seconds), reminiscent of the days when Sugath Thilakarathne and Rohan Pradeep Kumara dominated the 400m on the international track for Sri Lanka. Ironically, Aruna’s coach Asanka Rajakaruna came to Nepal utilising his own funds to make sure Aruna won the Gold medal.

Dilshi Kumarasinghe, who was a last minute replacement for Nadeesha Ramanayaka, (who is hospitalized suffering with dengue), won the Gold medal in the women’s 400m with a personal best of 53.40 seconds. Dilshi, the Asian Junior Silver medallist hailing from A. Rathnayaka CC Walala, produced Sri Lanka’s first Gold in the SAG 400m since Damayanthi Darsha won it some years back.

“I was quite surprised when I got to run the 400m. When Nadeesha was hospitalized I knew I could win the Gold medal and that’s why I ran fast from the starter pistol, which is something I normally don’t do,” said Dilshi after the race.

The other Gold medal was won by Triple Jumper Hashini Prabodha Balasooriya with a leap of 13.21m, while Asian Championship Silver medallist Vidusha Lakshani won the silver medal with a 13.11m leap. Both athletes train under Cuban coach Luis Miranda. Hashini wasn’t originally in the SAG as she finished second at the trials and AASL had to cut out all the second places athletes when Sports Ministry asked to reduce the team. It was only later that AASL was allowed to enter all second placed athletes following an appeal by Hashini and a few others. Vidusha, who couldn’t compete in the fitness trials leading up to the SAG, was almost removed from the team by the AASL, but later she was retained following an assurance given by Doctors that she will be able to compete. Clearly she wasn’t at her best during the competition though she won the Silver medal behind her team mate.

110m hurdler Roshan Dammika Ranathunga and Triple Jumper Safreen Ahmed won Bronze medals in their respective events.
Results

Men’s 400m: Aruna Darshana (SL) 46.69 secs, Lakmal Priyantha (SL) 46.79 secs, K. Jeevan (Ind) 47.42 secs

Women’s 400m: Dilshi Kumarasinghe (SL) 53.40 secs, Priya Habbathan (Ind) 54.31 secs, Sahib Asra (Pak) 54.38 secs

Men’s 110m Hurdles: Muhammad Naeem (Pak) 14.30 secs, Surendhar Jayak (Ind) 14.37 secs, Roshan Dhammika Ranatunga (SL) 14.42 secs

Women’s 100m Hurdles: Lakshika Sugandi (SL) 13.68 secs, Aparna Roy (Ind) 14.13 secs, Ireshani Rajasinghe (SL) 14.18 secs

Men’s Triple Jump: Karthik Unnikri (Ind) 16.47m (3), Mohammed Salahudin (Ind) 16.36m (2), Safreen Ahmed (SL) 15.95m (5)

Women’s Triple Jump: Hashini Prabodha Balasooriya (SL) 13.21m, Vidusha Lakshani (SL) 13.14m, Bharabi Roy (Ind) 12.77m