Mahash, Ranjan, Sampath to commence Sri Lanka’s campaign

2020 Tokyo Paralympics

Sri Lanka contingent will commence their Paralympic campaign when Mahash Jayakody, Ranjan Darmasena and Sampath Bandara enter first round competitions in Tokyo today.

Rower Mahash Jayakody will compete in the second heat of the Men’s Single Sculls where he will be up against a strong field inclusive of Great Britain’s Pritchard Benjamin, USA’s Haxton Blake and Israel’s Daniel Shmuel.

Jayakody got injured while serving the Sri Lanka Army at Pudukuduirippu in April 2009. He commenced para sports in 2015. A member of the Special Force Sports Club, Jayakody will have the gold medal he won recently at the Regatta Asian Continent in Tokyo as a special motivation when he competes at the Sea Forest Waterway today.

Sampath Bandara will be taking aim in his second Paralympics today having first competed five years ago in Rio. In 2016 he was ranked 17th. He has gained experience at several International events since then including two World Para Championships and Para Asian Games in 2018. The archer from SL Army Light Infantry Sports Club is among 30 entering the Yumenoshima Ranking Field for the Men’s Individual Recurve – Open Ranking Round.

In wheelchair tennis Ranjan Darmasena will encounter Alexander Cataldo of Chile in a men’s singles first round match. Darmasena who once held an ITF wheelchair singles rank of 38 is currently ranked 59. (RF)