Sarangi to skip today’s Asian Games trial  

by Reemus Fernando  

National long jump record holder Sarangi Silva, who was one of the best performers at the first selection trial held in February, will skip the vital second Asian Games trial which will commence at the newly laid synthetic track at Diyagama today.

The athlete who has sought Sri Lanka Athletics’ and National Olympic Committee’s intervention to train in Qatar ahead of the Asian Games said that she was skipping the meet to concentrate on peaking at the right time.

“I am concentrating on producing a peak performance at the Asian Games. I will skip tomorrow’s meet to achieve that,” Sarangi told The Island on the eve of the meet yesterday.

The Sri Lanka Army athlete cleared 6.65 metres to establish a new national record at the selection trial held at the Sugathadasa Stadium in February.

Incidentally, it is the best outdoor long jump feat by a female athlete in Asia this year and makes her a prime medal prospect for Sri Lanka at the quadrennial event. Her absence will deny Anjani Pulwansa some much needed competition. Pulwansa’s 6.18 metres feat (recorded at the meet in February) is the second longest jump by a female athlete in Asia in outdoor competitions this year.

Sarangi took the national record under her belt after training in Qatar though a scholarship given by the National Olympic Committee of that country. She has sought the intervention of the NOC Sri Lanka to train there ahead of the Asian Games.

Sarangi said that NOC authorities were awaiting green light from their Qatari counterparts to help her reach her true potential.

She said that she will take part in the National Championships.

The selection trial starting today is the last competition for national athletes ahead of next month’s centenary National Championships.