Sri Lanka Athletics look to field relay teams for World Junior Championships

Sri Lanka Athletics will look for possible candidates to form men’s 4×100 m and 4x400m relay teams for the World Junior Championships when it conducts the Junior National Athletics Championship at Diyagama from Saturday.

With more than one athlete reaching entry standards for both the men’s 100 metres and 400 metres, athletics authorities are eager to form relay teams for the upcoming World Junior Athletics Championship which will be held in Lima, Peru.

The Sri Lanka men’s 4×100 metres team’s silver  winning performance of 39.81 seconds at the recently held Asian Junior Championship is among the best eight performances in the world in the Under 20 age category and has influenced the authorities to look at the possibilities of fielding relay teams.

The men’s 4×400 metres relay team won the bronze medal at the Asian Junior Championships with a performance of 3:46.20 seconds. That feat is the world’s sixth fastest performance so far this year.

“We will look at the possibilities of fielding relay teams. A special selection event will be held on the final day of the Junior National Championships to pick members of the relay teams,” Saman Kumara, the secretary of Sri Lanka Athletics told reporters at a press conference held on Tuesday.

Nannapurawa MV Bibila jumper Madushani Herath, Ambagamuwa Central hurdler Ayomal Akalanka, Ananda College Colombo sprinters Meron Wijesinghe (100m) and Indusara Vidushan (200m), Mahinda College Galle sprinter Jathya Kirulu (400m), D. S. Senanayaka College, Colombo high jumper Lesandu Arthavidu reached entry standards for the World Junior Championship during competitions held during the last couple of months.

Athletics authorities also said that the four day event will be compulsory for all the athletes who have already qualified for the world event.

According to Sri Lanka Athletics over 2000 athletes have entered to compete at the Junior National Athletics Championships.

(Reemus Fernando /Island)