Lakshani’s coach out of World Junior Championships after testing positive for Covid

by Reemus Fernando   

Sports Officer Madura Perera who trained middle distance runner Shanika Lakshani to reach qualifying standards for next week’s World Junior Championship in Nairobi will not join the team leaving for Kenya after testing positive for Covid 19.

Perera, who was instrumental in carefully guiding Lakshani during a trouble-stricken 2020 to shatter one of Sri Lanka’s long standing junior records, tested positive for the virus on August 10, the day the team of six selected athletes and five officials underwent the first mandatory tests for Covid 19. Perera had been asymptomatic to the virus on the day of the test.

Sri Lanka Athletics had picked three coaches including Perera to accompany the team to Nairobi but yesterday the track and field governing body announced a fresh team of officials leaving out Perera.

Incidentally, Perera played a crucial role to continue the training of the prospective youngster uninterrupted even when lock down restrictions were in force at Gampaha last year. The guidance during that period helped the Holy Cross College, Gampaha athlete break a long standing junior national record held by former National Champion Dammika Menike.

The Asian Youth Championship (2019) participant broke Dammika Menike’s 1985 junior record in the 1,500 metres (4:35.70 seconds) at the National Championships in December 2020. That was the first step to achieve qualifying standards for the World Junior Championships.

Four months later at the first selection trial held in April, Lakshani reached the qualifying standards for the World Junior Championships in 800 metres when she clocked 2:07.02 seconds (Qualifying mark: 2:08.70 seconds).

Lakshani is one of the four athletes to have qualified for the World Junior event.  Fellow 800 metres runner Tharushi Karunaratne from Ratnayake Central, Walala and Lumbini College sprinter Medhani Jayamanne (100m, 200m) and Ananda Sastralaya, Matugama sprinter Isuru Kaushalya (400m) are the others who have reached qualifying standards for the six-day event which starts on August 17.

Holy Cross College, Gampaha sprinter Lakshima Mendis and Wekada MV, Chilaw athlete Dilshan Bandara are joining the contingent to form the 4×400 metres mixed relay team while Sithum Jayasundara from Sir John Kothalawala MV, Kurunegala is the reserve.

The team is scheduled to leave for Nairobi on Sunday.

Officials:

Dr. Dammika Senanayake (Covid 19 Liaison Officer), Jagath Gnanasiri Silva (Manager), Umanga Surendra (Coach), Danushka Munasinghe (Coach), Sunethra Karunanayake (Lady Chaperone).