Aruna Darshana Secures Paris Olympic Ticket

Quarter-miler Aruna Darshana has officially qualified to compete in the Paris Olympic Games 2024, as confirmed by Sri Lanka Athletics. Despite being initially ranked 51st in the Road to Paris Games, he narrowly missed the initial cutoff of the top 48 athletes who secured a spot. Anxiously awaiting any withdrawals or injury-related updates, Darshana’s dream has now become a reality.

This will also marks the end of Wild card hope for sprinter Yupun Abeykoon who failed to secure his Olympic spot this time with injury ridden season .

Darshana’s broke in to limelight when he clocked a personal best of 45.30 seconds in the 400m, winning the Gold medal at the Asian Junior Championship in Japan back in 2018. His remarkable performance set an Asian Junior record. Not stopping there, Darshana also anchored the 4x400m relay team to another Gold medal.

However, the road to the Olympics was not without challenges. The Sri Lanka Sports Ministry initially announced a six-year sponsorship for Darshana and other junior athletes until the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Unfortunately, the scholarship ended prematurely after just two months, leaving Darshana and his coach, Asanka Rajpakaruna, facing an uphill battle.

Fast forward six years, and Aruna Darshana stands as the sole remaining promising junior from that 2018 batch. His unwavering dedication and determination have kept him at his best, with a shot at Olympic glory.