Nirmali’s promising start augurs well for 800 metres

by Reemus Fernando   

Wickramabahu Central College, Gampola has just produced two champion runners, one in the 800 metres and the other in the 1,500 metres. The 800 metres runner Nirmali Wickramasinghe and 1,500 metres champion Dulanjana Pradeepani are both freshers. It was quite surprising to witness two new runners turning tables on traditional strongholds to win their respective events at the weekend’s Youth Selection Trial. “I identified them when I went to the school on my first appointment. I kept training them despite the absence of competitions,” said Buddhika Nuwan their coach who was among thousands of new schools coaches recruited by the Ministry of Education in 2019.

Nirmali Wickramasinghe clocked an impressive 2.14.45 seconds to win the 800 metres at the Youth Selection Trial. It was one of the fastest performances produced in recent times by a girl of her age. After Ratnayake Central runner Tharushi Karunaratne ran 2:14 seconds to establish a new record at the All-Island Schools Games Athletics Championships in 2019 no Under 16 athlete had run the discipline that fast. Nirmali who will be celebrating her 15th birthday next month was competing in the Under 18 age category as the Trial was conducted as a precursor to next year’s Youth Selection Trial to pick the team for Asian Youth Athletics Championships which is an Under 18 event.

With no schools’ events taking place during the last two years the likes of Nirmali have found the Trial Meets conducted by Sri Lanka Athletics to be their only competition opportunity. Earlier this year when Sri Lanka Athletics held the Junior Selection trial for the World Junior Championships, Nirmali came up with another notable performance to finish second behind Shanika Lakshani.

At that meet, she clocked 2:14.78 seconds. With back-to-back 2:14 performances, Nirmali is likely to receive the nod of the selectors for the Asian Youth Athletics Championships taking place in Kuwait next year. Her promising start will also augur well for country’s 800 metres prospects as the discipline has now become the most successful women’s event at regional international level.

“Certainly, this is not her best. We are still in the preparation period. She is yet to peak. She will be faster when the next selection trial is held. I am confident that she will produce a faster time,” said Nuwan who has his own experience competing as a middle-distance runner when he attended Ratnayake Central, Walala.

“Athletics is not a big-time sport at our school. I have only these two athletes training under me. Hopefully these victories will influence more students to take up athletics at Wickramabahu Central College,” said Nuwan who has now become one of the first coaches from the 2019 batch of new recruits to produce results in track and field.