Madushani produces season’s best but quarter-century old record stays put

Junior National Athletics Championships 2023 

by Reemus Fernando  

National Junior long jump record holder Madushani Herath shrugged off her early season disappointments with a notable performance in the Under 20 girls’ long jump as she came almost close to breaking a 25-year-old meet record on day three of the Junior National Athletics Championships at Diyagama on Tuesday.

The Nannapurawa MV, Bibila athlete missed the opportunity of representing Sri Lanka at the forthcoming Asian Junior Athletics Championships as she could not reach her usual form at the selection trial held in March. ‘She was struggling with her run-up then’ and could not go beyond the 5.70 metres mark in March. But yesterday she made jumps of over 5.80 metres on all her six attempts and delivered her season’s best of 6.06 metres with the support of a tailwind of +2.6.

Even her second-best jump (5.96) was good enough to put her in contention for the best athlete title of the meet in her age category by the end of the third day. The wind gauge reading of 2.6 prevented her from equaling the 25-year-old meet record of Anoma Sooriyarachchi (6.06).

She was expected to break the meet record from the time she cleared a National Junior Record distance of 6.09 metres at the same venue as a youth athlete last year.

The penultimate day of the meet was also notable for two record-breaking performances in the hammer throw. Nithinsa Mandani of Yatiyana MV, Matara threw the hammer to a distance of 40 metres to break the Under 23 women’s record established by A.W.A.S.M. Amarasinghe (2013).

In the Under 18 girls’ hammer throw Yuthara Linduli Jayaweera of Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda cleared a distance of 36.79 metres to create a new record.

The organisers were continuing the day’s event late into the evening after heavy rain hampered the afternoon session. Results of some of the events held in the evening were not available when this edition went to press.

Results

Under 20 Men’s 10000m

1. Suman Keeran of Mulankavil National School, Kilinochchi 35:35.92

2. M Dinushan of Saraswathy Central College, Nuwaraeliya 35:42.31

3. KK Lakindu Nirman of Ananda Sastralaya Mathugama 37:19.81

Under 23 Men’s 10000m

1. MSA Fernando of Colombo DAA 33:29.62

2. RMDP Rathnayaka of        Sri Lanka Army 33:45.25

3. NBACP Madhubhashana of Yahala Arawa MV, Welimada 33:48.30

Under 23 Women’s 10000m

1. Nayana Sewwandi of Kalutara DAA 45:25.87

2. TV Hashini Lakshani of Pitadeniya Maha Vidyalaya, Galle 47:01.80

3. PGSS Wimalasooriya of Kandy DAA 47:06.46

Under 20 Women’s Long Jump

1. Madushani Herath of Nannapurawa MV, Bibila 6.06 (+2.6)

2. L Prasadi Anuradha Fernando        of Newstead Girls’ College, Negombo 5.85

3. Dananjana Sithmini Ranasgalla of Lyceum International School, Gampaha 5.53

Under 16 Girls Hammer Throw

1. Ranudi Weerawardhane of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo 23.39

2. Dasini Vihangana of Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya, Nugegoda 21.69

3.  Imalsha Dhananjani of Welagedara Maha Vidyalaya 21.23

Under 18 Girls Hammer Throw

1. Yuthara Linduli Jayaweera of Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda 36.79m        * NMR

2. Selvakumar Sevvanam of Polikandy Hindu Tamil Mixed School, Valvettithurai 30.76

3. BAK Kumari of Sumana Balika Vidyalaya, Rathnapura 24.36

Under 16 Boys’ Javelin Throw

1. Pawan Induwara of St. Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa 52.43

2. Shenal Weerakoon of St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa 52.33

3. TMD Induranga of Kuliyapitiya Central College, Kuliyapitiya 51.27

Under 23 Women’s Long Jump

1. Thanishia Joanna 5.43

2. Neha Hettiarachchi of Holy Cross College, Gampaha 5.36

3. GIS Lankathilaka of Sri Lanka Air Force 5.29      –

Under 23 Men’s Hammer Throw

1. Suseenthi Kumar Mithunraj of Hartley College, Jaffna 38.91

2. Guvidu Punyajith Welikaka of Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya 34.11

3. Isuru Dilhara Perera of Track Masters Sports Club 32.03

Under 18 Men’s Javelin Throw

1. Sadeepa Irosh of St. Joseph Vaz’s College, Wennappuwa 56

2. Dinethra Shakya of St. Joseph Vaz’s College, Wennappuwa 54.63

3. ESH Epasingha of Royal College, Horana 53.41

Under 23 Women’s 400m

1. Kavindi Edirisinghe of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo 57.65

2. KHAD Kaushalaya of Sri Lanka Air Force 58.76

3. UKSCP Bandara of Kegalle DAA 1:00.38

Under 23 Men’s Javelin Throw

1.  Rumesh Tharanga of Kalutara DAA 67.50

2. Deshith Bhagya of Sri Lanka Air Force     53.12

3. Chamod Rashmika of Boy’s Model School, Malabe 50.20

Under 20 Men’s Long Jump

1. Hasitha Kavinda Dissanayake of Lyceum International, Gampaha 6.97

2. Razwin Careem of Lyceum International School, Panadura 6.89

3. Vidusha Siriwardhana        of Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte 6.77