No one from curfew areas when top athletes flex their muscle

Nimali Liyanarachchi is among many leading athletes preparing to take part in the low key event.

by Reemus Fernando

Middle distance runner Nimali Liyanarachchi has spent nearly a year without competitions. A gold medal hopeful at the last South Asian Games, Nimali met with an accident on the eve of Sri Lanka team’s departure for the Games last year. She is among dozens of top athletes preparing to assess their strengths after a long layoff at the time trial scheduled for the weekend as Sri Lanka Athletics decided to go ahead with the low key affair to provide competition-starved track and field athletes a platform to flex their muscle.

“There was lot of uncertainty due to the Covid 19 pandemic. But if it is held I would be taking part in it. I have not taken part in an athletic even for nearly a year now,” Liyanarachchi told The Island after Sri Lanka Athletics head Palitha Fernando confirmed the event yesterday.

“There were lot of interruptions to training programs due to Covid 19 health conditions. But I managed to train,” she said.

The track and field governing body has restricted the participation for a selected group of top athletes. Athletes in the elite pool and national pool and participants of last Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Championships and Asian Junior Championships will take part in the two-day event starting on Saturday.

Sri Lanka Athletics had earlier planed to conduct a National Trial open to both senior and junior athletes from Friday but changed their plans after the rise of a second wave of Covid-19.

The present health situation has forced officials to follow a long process to obtain permission for the event. According to national coach Y.K. Kularatne, Sri Lanka Athletics has to provide details of the participants to the Sports Medical Unit which will then seek permission from the Medical Officer of Health of the area.

Athletes and officials from several areas in Gampaha, where police curfew is in force, will not be able to take part due to strict health guidelines.

There will be only a limited number of track and field events as only the top notch athletes are taking part.

Following are the events: Men’s 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, long jump, triple jump, javelin throw, Women’s: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, long jump, triple jump, javelin throw, 3000m steeple, 100 metres hurdles. (RF)