Sri Lanka looks to expand Asian Team
The Prime goal of Sri Lankan athletes this year has been making it to the National Team for the Asian Athletic Championship and with the completion of the second National Trials Athletic Association of Sri Lanka (AASL) is thinking about increasing the team from the originally decided 15-20 athletes to 25 for the Asian Championship, as many athletes marked impressive performances, new personal bests and three Sri Lankan records during the two days at Diyagama.
Accordingly, 14 athletes achieved the locally compiled Asian Championship qualification marks set by the AASL during two trials where the first one was held in April. Two of them namely, Greshan Dhananjaya (long jump) and Amila Jayasiri (long jump) were only able to finish third and fourth at the last trials with leaps of 7.57m and 7.50m respectively.
Excluding those two athletes SL has 12 athletes who achieved Asian Championship qualification standards who will definitely make the SL team and along with them AASL most probably will include two Men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams which will make it a 19 member squad.
The team will also include South Asia’s fastest man Himasha Eashan in 100m and 4x100m. Eashan did not achieve the qualification mark of 10.34 set by AASL this year where he clocked a wind aided 10.29 seconds in Jamaica followed by a legal best time of 10.37 seconds when he won the silver medal at the Asian Grand Prix and AASL will most likely include him in the Asian C’ship team and has advised him to send his progress report regarding his training in Italy prior to the Asian Championship.
Apart from those there are a few other deserving athletes who could not achieve the qualification marks but considering the condition of the track, lack of training facilities in SL in recent times, AASL will most likely consider including them into the team.
That set of athletes include the 400m runner Nirmali Madushika who is just 20 years and clocked 54.16 seconds in the 400m running from the 8th lane, just 0.02 seconds behind qualification mark (54.16 seconds). Asian Grand Prix Gold medallist in the 800 metres Indunil Herath who clocked 1:49.12 seconds to win this event is almost certain to make the team. Long jumper Dhananjaya, 20 who leapt a personal best 7.83m achieving the qualification mark (7.78m) at the junior nationals could not match his performance in Diyagama last week, yet finished in third place and has a high chance of making in to the team.
Ajith Karunathilaka the Decathlon National record holder renewed the SL record once again at the April trials with 6884 points just 116 points behind qualification mark of 7000 points but AASL will give him a chance considering his performance and continues to grow in the event. Nevertheless Ajith skipped the second trials as he is set to compete in the Thailand Open Championship later this week and he has a chance of earning his qualification of 7000 points.
Though pole vaulter Ishara Sandaruwan could not really produce his best due to conditions of the approach area at Diyagama he managed to clear 5.11m to renew his Sri Lanka record. The SAG gold medallist and record holder is in prime form even though he did not get many competitions this year as he had only two competitions throughout this year so far.
And Ceylon Athletics believes that Sandaruwan’s inclusion in the team could do magnificent things generally for the popularity of pole vault in Sri Lanka. Especially when considering the Asian Championship that will be held in India with just a month behind the World Championship there’s a possibility of top athletes, especially from China and Japan, will skip the Asian C’ship and Sandaruwan may have an outside chance of winning a medal.
Charith Kapukotuwa returned from the USA and set a new SL record in the shot put event with 17.55 m but missed out on the qualification mark of 18.0m. Sanjaya Jayasinghe leapt 16.26m a little below the qualification mark of 16.40m but both of them could make it into the team if AASL decides to give them a chance considering their impressive performances in difficult conditions.
Out of the rest Jaffna’s vaulting queen Anitha Jagatheshwaran, hammer thrower Ayesha Maduwanthi and javelin thrower Sampath Ranasinghe have one more opportunity at Thailand Open C’ship to make it into the team.
Anitha set the SL record four times during the last two years and even at the last trials she cleared 3.46m to better her own SL record. Hailing from the war affected Jaffna area she trains without a synthetic track, Anitha has shown clear determination throughout the past few years and even gave up the idea of entering the University of Sabaragamuwa this year even after getting qualified, giving priority to pursue in athletics thus she deserves an opportunity to compete with Asia’s best.
Ayesha Maduwanthi on the other hand, had renewed the SL record four times with 47.92m being her best throw she will eye to attain 50M plus throw in Thailand where the qualification mark is 52.0m.
Javelin thrower Ranasinghe who achieved 76.95m at the first trials just 1.05m behind qualification mark, will leave to Finland for a training where he too will make it into the team.
List of possible Asian Championship team
Men (Qualified)
1. Danuka Liyanapathirana (Long Jump) 7.89m
2. Vinoj Suranjaya (100m, 200m, 4x100m) 10.30 sec, 20.84 sec
3. Ajith Premakumara (400m, 4x400m) 46.38 sec
4. Dilip Ruwan (400m, 4×400,) 46.41 sec
5. Manjula Kumara Wijesekara (High Jump) 2.25m
6. Waruna Lakshan Dayarathne (Javelin Throw) 82.19m
Merit
7. Himasha Eashan (100m,4x100m) (clocked windy 10.29 sec and 10.37 at Asian GP, clocked SL record 10.28 seconds last year at SAG winning the Gold medal)
Women (Qualified)
8. Dilhani Lekamge (Javelin Throw) 56.30m
9. Rumeshika Rathnayaka (100m, 200m) 11.60 sec
10. Gayanthika Abeyrathne (800m) 02:02.55 sec
11. Nimali Liyanarachchi (800m) 02:02.58 sec
12. Vidusha Lakshani (Triple Jump) 13.64m (will compete at Thailand open)
13. Nilani Rathnayaka (3000m Steeple Chase) 10:03.94 sec (will compete at Thailand open)
Relays
14. Pradeep Kumara (4x400m)
15. Tharusha Dananjaya (4x400m)
16. Kalinga Kumarage (4x400m) (will run 400m at Thailand open)
17. Shehan Ambepitiya (4x100m)
18. Mohammad Ashrafu (4x100m)
19. Mohammad Safran (4x100m
Athletes almost certain of making into the team
20. Nirmali Madushika (400m) 54.16 sec (Just 0.02 seconds behind qualification mark 54.14 sec)
21. Indunil Herath (800m) 1:49.21 sec (Gold Medal at Asian GP)
22. Ajith Karunathilaka (Decathlon) 6884 points (New Sri Lanka record at 1st trial) (will compete in Thailand open next week)
Athletes with outside chance to make the team
23. Ishara Sandaruwan (Pole Vault) 5:11m (New Sri Lanka Record)
24. Sanjaya Jayasinghe (Triple Jump) 16.26M
25. Charith Kapukotuwa (Shot Put) 17.55M (New Sri Lanka Record)
26. Asanka Rathnasena (400m hurdle) 51.53 sec (Qualification 51.24)
27 . Sampath Ranasinghe (Javelin Throw) 76.95m (Leaving to Finland traning) Qualification Mark – 78.0m
Athletes who achieved qualification yet failed to finished in first two position at last trials
28. Greshan Dhananjaya (Long Jump) 7.83m (finished 3rd in 2nd trial)
29. Amila Jayasiri (Long Jump ) (leap 7.83m in Philippine Open achieving the qualification standards 7.78m but finished in 4 in second trials and could not get in to best eight in first trial)
Athletes with more opportunities
30. J. Anitha (Pole Vault) 3.46M (set SL record for the 4th time at 2nd trial) (will compete in Thailand open next week) qualification mark -3.80m
31. Ayesha Maduwanthi (Hammer Throw) 47.92m (New Sri Lanka record) (will compete in Thailand open next week) qualification mark -52.0m
