Sports hostel to open for selected athletes

The Athletics Association has permitted more National athletes, along with their foreign coaches in some cases, to resume training at Torrington Stadium tomorrow (8th). Apart from track and field athletes, a few other selected athletes from other sports such as Wushu and Weight lifting too will resume training tomorrow (8th).

Accordingly, Kenya’s former head coach Dan Muchoki, who is currently in Sri Lanka, will resume training Youth Olympic Bronze medalist Parami Wasanthi Marisstella, her training partner Asmika Herath, middle distance runner Kupun Kushantha and SAG Gold medalist and Asian Indoor Games’ Silver medalist Indunil Herath.

Herath was training in Kenya with Dan when he established a Sri Lanka record of  1 minutes 47 .13 in the 800m in 2018, but continued to train with his local coach V. Rathnakumara once he came back, though  Sri Lanka had by then hired Muchoki to coach local athletes.

Cuban Coach Luis Miranda will resume training his jumpers, that include SAG triple jump Gold medalist Hashini Balasooriya, long jump Silver medalist Anjani Pulwansa, Asian Games long jump finalist Prasad Wimalasiri, Asian Indoor medalist long jumper Amila Jayasiri and several other top jumpers.

AASL President Maj .Gen Palitha Fernando stated they have to limit the number of athletes in line with health guidelines issued by the Institute of Sports Medicine which comes under the Sports Ministry.

He also said the Department of Sports Development of the Sports Ministry had informed AASL the sports hostel will be available for use by athletes from today. Currently the foreign coaches are occupying the hostel and AASL will initially permit those athletes who are training under these foreign coaches to be trained before granting permission to the rest gradually.

Athletes training under Cuban sprinting coach Sergio Manuel Rodríguez started training last week.