Dilhani Lekamge is primed for top performances this year – Coach  

by Reemus Fernando  

Former national javelin champion and coach Pradeep Nishantha believes that his charge Dilhani Lekamge has primed to accept big challenges in a year loaded with international competitions. Nishantha, who enjoyed unprecedented success last year when his trainee Dinesh Priyantha Herath won gold at the Paralympics, said that Lekamge will be an athlete to watch this year as she would be looking to reach her best performances.

“I firmly believe that Lekamge has improved to produce some outstanding throws. The first trial will be the opportunity to see how she has improved,” said Nishantha in an interview with The Island on the eve of the Sri Lanka Athletics First Selection Trial.

The selection trial conducted by Sri Lanka Athletics will commence at the Sugathadasa Stadium today and will conclude on Saturday.

The track and field governing body set tough selection standards for this year’s international competitions and it would be a huge challenge for some of the top athletes to accomplish those targets as it requires record breaking performances.

In Lekamge’s case a throw of 58 metres is the standard to be eligible for Asian Games selection, though she is required only to clear a distance of 56 metres to prove her readiness at today’s meet. Sri Lanka Athletics set several standards to be achieved at each trial. A gradual improvement from 56.00 metres to 56.30m, 57.00m and 58.00 metres is required if Lekamge is to book a place in the team for the Asian Games. It is only a year since Lekamge has come under the guidance of Nishantha.

Lekamge was the country’s leading female thrower last year with a distance of 56.94 metres achieved in June. She threw nearly three metres further than Nadeeka Lakmali, who holds the national record. Lekamge has a personal best of 58.41 from 2018.

Her most outstanding achievement so far at international arena is the silver medal she won at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, India in 2017. There she cleared a distance of 58.11 metres. She was first coached by the late A.J. Rodrigo who was also the coach of Asian Championship silver medallists Sachith Maduranga and Nadeeka Lakmali.

Nishantha is also confident this his other charges including Olympian Sumedha Ranasinghe too would do well at this meet.

The three-day meet starting today will be the first track and field competition conducted by Sri Lanka Athletics in its centenary year. This will be followed by the Second Selection Trial to be held in March and the National Championships which will be regarded as the final selection trial.

The event will be held under two categories with juniors too being given an opportunity to compete. However, some of the junior athletes are likely to skip events due to the A/L Exam clashing with their schedule. Umanga Surendra, the coach of junior sprinter Medhani Jayamanne said that his charge would skip the 200 metres due to the exam. He said Jayamanne however, would take part in the 100 metres today.