Sri Lanka Athletics set to recruit top notch Finnish throwing coach

Finland throwing coach Petteri Piironen, who trained Nadeeka Lakmali and Sachith Maduranga to win Asian Championship Silver medals in 2013, is set to be the latest addition to Sri Lanka’s international athletics coaching panel.

AASL President Palitha Fernando said Sports ministry has approved and he is willing to come down to the island, but the matter has been temporarily put on hold due to the Covid-19 situation, where Sri Lankan health authorities insist on a period of at least 14 days quarantine for anyone who comes into the country.

Sri Lanka presently has three international coaches. There are two Cuban coaches – Luis Miranda (Jumping) and Sergio Manuel Rodríguez(Sprinting) – and a Kenyan middle distance coach Dan Muchoki, who was  the former national coach of Kenya, training Sri Lankan athletes.

Muchoki is presently based in Nuwara Eliya and does high altitude training for Sri Lankan middle distance athletes, while the two Cuban coaches are based in Colombo.