Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) is focused on winning more medals at the Asian Games and has selected 21 athletes to represent the country while they have picked only eight athletes for the Commonwealth Games.
The selections were made after the conclusion of the centenary national athletic championships recently which was also considered as the final trials for the two Games.
To boost their chances of a medal SLA has selected three relay teams for the Asian Games who are within medal range. This includes a 4x100m women’s relay team after a lapse of two decades. They have ignored a relay team for the Commonwealth Games.
The women’s relay team includes sprinters who have run the 100m well below the 12 seconds mark. Two of the runners, Amasha de Silva and Rumeshika Ratnayake, have earlier achieved it in below 11.60 seconds.
The Commonwealth Games will be held from July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, England.
The Sri Lanka men’s team to Birmingham includes two Olympians in javelin thrower Sumedha Ranasinghe and 100m sprinter Yupun Abeykoon.
The US based high jumper Ushan Thiwanka also makes the list as all three achieved the given qualification standards while 400m runner Kalinga Kumarage, who ran 45.88 seconds has also been named as he ran close to the given qualification time of 45.70 seconds.
The women’s team includes the impressive long jumper Sarangi Silva, middle distance runner Gayanthika Abeyratne and 3000m runner Nilani Ratnayake, together with US based marathoner Hiruni Wijayaratne.
With the Asian Games being the main target to win medals, SLA has for the first time included a 4x400m mixed relay team. The 4x400m men’s relay team also includes two athletes in Kalinga Kumarage and Aruna Darshana who have run the distance in under 46 seconds.
Triple jumper Chamal Kumarasiri who set a new record, 110m hurdler Roshan Ranatunga and US based long jumper Danushka Sandaruwan complete the list for the Asian Games.
Woman’s long jumper Sarangi Silva who established a Sri Lanka record with a leap of 6.65m is a clear hope for a medal. Her performance stands better than that of the gold medalists in the last three editions of the Asian Games.
Gayanthika Abeyratne though 35 years old now, has improved to set new Sri Lanka records in the 800m and the 1500m events and is well within range to win a medal.
Commonwealth Games teams:
Men - Sumedha Ranasinghe (Javelin Throw), Kalinga Kumara (400m), Yupun Abeykoon (100m), Ushan Thiwanka (High Jump)
Women – Nilani Ratnayake (3000m steeplechase), Gayanthika Abeyratne (800m, 1500m), Sarangi Silva (Long Jump), Hiruni Wijayaratne (Marathon)
Asian Games teams:
Men - Sumedha Ranasinghe (Javelin Throw), Kalinga Kumara (400m, 4x400m, 4x400m Mix), Yupun Abeykoon (100m), Ushan Thiwanka (High Jump), Roshan Ranatunga (110m Hurdles), Chamal Kumarasiri (Triple Jump), Danushka Sandaruwan (Long Jump), Aruna Darshana (4x400m, 4x400m Mix), Isuru Lakshan (4x400m), Pabasara Niku (4x400m), V. Deshan (4x400m)
Women - Nilani Ratnayake (3000m steeplechase), Gayanthika Abeyratne (800m, 1500m), Sarangi Silva (Long Jump), Tharushi Karunaratne (4x400m Mix), Nadeesha Ramanayake (4x400 Mix), Amasha de Silva (100m, 4x100m), Rumeshika Ratnayake (4x100m), Shelinda Jansen (4x100m), Medhani Jayamanne (4x100m), Lakshika Sugandhi (4x100m)