Profiles: Lions cubs flying to Japan to take part in Asian Junior champs
The Sri Lanka team of 13 scheduled to fly Japan on 5th and arrived on 6th with hours left to Asian Junior Athletics Championships.
The Asian Junior Athletics championship 2018 will be held Gifu, Japan from 07-10 June. This is the 18th edition of the Asian Junior Athletics championship where 45 member federations of 45 Asian Countries will compete. Asian junior Athletics championship is known for its tough competition standards where Sri Lanka had only managed 20 medals so far in across the 18 editions which include four Gold medals, 10 silvers medals and 6 bronze medals. Highest of number of those medals were came in 2012 (6) when Sri Lanka hosted the event.
Sri Lanka team coming off from winning 12 Gold medals in the South Asian junior Athletics Championship and is eyeing to win Sri Lanka’s highest number of medals this time around as number of Sri Lankan Athletes are hold the Asian top ranking ahead of the competition
Boys: Aruna Darshana (200m, 400m, 4x400m), Pasindu Kodikara (400m, 4x400m), Pabasara Niku (400m,4x400m), Ravishka Indrajith (4x400m), Harsha Karunarathne (800m, 4x400m), Tharindu Dasun (High Jump)
Girls: Amasha de Silva (100m, 200m, 4x400m), Dilshi Kumarasinghe (400m, 800m, 4x400m) , Sachini Divyanjali (4x400m), Romeshi Attidiya (4x400m), Sadumini Chaviprabhavi Bandara (4x400m), Ridma Nishadi (Long Jump), Wasanthi Marisstella (3000m Steeple Chase)
Coaches : Asanka Rajakaruna (Coach of Aruna Darshana), Sanjeewa Weerakkody (Coach of Amasha de Silva) ,Susantha Fernando (Coach of A.Rathnayaka CC Walala)
Team profile
(update: 25th of may 2018)
Name: – S.Aruna Darshana
School: – Weerakeppetipola NS Akuarmboda (Matale district)
Events: – 200m / 400m/ 4x400m
Personal Best: – 200m -21.38 seconds, 400m -46.55 seconds (New SL Junior Record)
Performance: – Three Gold medal at South Asian Junior Athletics championship
- 400m –Gold Medal
- 200m –Gold medal
- 4x400m –Gold medal
Asian Ranking: – 03
World Ranking: – 24
Qualified for the IAAF World Junior championship in Finland (July 10-15)
Special Note: – His time in the 400m is better than gold medal performance of the past four edition of the Asian Junior Championship.
Coach: – Asanka Rajakaruna
Name: – Pasindu Kodikara
School: – Maliyadeva Boys College, Kurunegala
Event:-400m /400m hurdle /4x400m
Personal best:- 400m -46.70 seconds, 400m hurdle -52.36 seconds
Asian Ranking: – 04th
World Ranking: – 30th
Performance – Two Gold and a Silver medal South Asian Junior athletics championship.
- 400m hurdle-Gold medla
- 4x400m – Gold medal
- 400m-Silver medal
Qualified for the IAAF World Junior championship in Finland (July 10-15) from both 400m and 400m hurdles
Name: – Harsha Karunarathne
School: – A.Rathnayaka CC Walala
Event: – 800m / 4x400m
Personal Best: – 800m- 1:51.97 seconds / 400m -48.19 seconds
Performance: – Gold medal in the South Asian Junior Athletics championship
Silver medal in the Asian Youth Athletics championship 2017
Asian Ranking – 05th
Special: – Middle distance runner hailing from A.Rathnayaka CC Walala is experienced in running tactical races for his advantage in international arena where he managed to win medals in both of his international outings so far.
Name:- Pabasara Keshan Niku
School:- Nalanda College Colombo (Earlier- Maliyadeva College Kurunegala)
Event: – 400m / 4x400m
Personal Best: – 400m 47.17 seconds
Asian Ranking -11th
Performance :- Gold medal in the 4x400m , bronze medal in the 400m at South Asian Junior Athletics Championship
Qualified for the IAAF World Junior championship in Finland (July 10-15)
Name: – KP Thiran Ravishka Indrajith
School: – St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena
Event: – 4x400m
Personal Best:- 400m – 47.64 seconds
Asian Ranking :- 400m :- 15
Performance :- 4x400m Gold medal at South Asian Junior Athletics championship
Represented Sri Lanka at the IAAF World Youth Championship 2017
Name: Tharindu Dasun
School: – Mahinda College Galle
Event: – High Jump
Personal Best- 2.11m
Asian Ranking -01
Performance: – Gold medal at South Asian Junior Athletics championship 2018
Name:- DT Amasha de Silva
School:- Swarnamali GC Kandy
Events: – 100m, 200m,4x400m
Personal best: 100m-11.92 seconds , 200m :24.49 seconds
Performance: – Four Gold medals in the South Asian Junior Championship
- 100m –Gold medal
- 200m – Gold Medal
- 4x100m- Gold Medal
- 4x400m-Gold Medal
Asian Ranking :- 100m-05th , 200m-04th
Name:- Dilshi Kumarasinghe
School :- A.Rathnayaka CC Walala
Events: – 400m,800m,4x400m
Personal Best:- 400m 54.36 seconds , 800m :- 2:07.73 sec
Asian Ranking: 400m- 4th, 800m -4th
Performance: – Three Gold medal in the South Asian junior Athletics championship
- 400m – Gold medal (NMR)
- 800m – Gold Medal (NMR , NSLJR)
- 4x400m- Gold medal (NMR)
5th place at Asian youth Championship 2017
Qualified for the IAAF World Junior championship in Finland (July 10-15)
From both 400m and 800m
Name: – Ridma Nishadi Abeyrathne
School: – Sri Dharmashoka College Ambalangoda
Event: – Long jump
Personal Best: – 6.08m
Asian Ranking: – 05
Performance: – Silver medal in the South Asian Junior Athletics championship 2018
Gold medal in the Thailand open Athletics championship 2015
Name:- Sachini Divyanjali
School:- Lyceum International School –Wattala
Event- 400m /4x400m
Personal Best :- 55.57 seconds
Asian Ranking: – 11th
Performance: – Gold medal in the South Asian junior Championship in 4x400m
Finalist in the Asian youth Championship 2017
Represented Sri Lanka in the Commonwealth Youth Games 2017
Name: – Romeshi Ishara Attidiya
School: – Lyceum International School,Nugegoda
Event -400m, 4x400m
Personal best: – 55.88sec
Asian Ranking: – 15th
Performance: – 4x400m Gold medal in the South Asian Junior Athletics championship
Name :- Sandumini Chaviprabhavi Bandara
School:- St.Joseph’s BV Kegalle
Event :- 400m
Personal Best :- 56.51 seconds
*** Still 17 years old ( Can represent SL in 2020 Asian Junior Championship)
Performance: – Represented Sri Lanka in the Asian Youth Championship 2017
Represented Sri Lanka in the commonwealth Youth Games 2017
Name:- Parami Wasanthi Marisstella
School :- Kuliyapitiya CC
Event -3000m Steeple Chase
Personal best: – 10:37.0 seconds
** Still 17 years of age || Will also represent SL in the Youth Olympic qualification (July /Bangkok)
Performance: – Represented Sri Lanka in the South Asian Junior Athletics championship
Qualified for the IAAF World Junior championship in Finland (July 10-15)
