Sri Lanka to host Asian Schools Athletics Championships in August

by Reemus Fernando

Sri Lanka will host the 3rd Asian Schools Athletics Championships in August. The Asian Schools Sports Federation event, dedicated to athletes in the youth category will be jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka Schools Sports Council and the Sri Lanka Schools Athletics Association.

“We are planning to conduct the Asian Schools Athletics Championships in August this year. That will be a huge opportunity for local schools athletes,” said Upali Amaratunga, the Director of Sports of the Ministry of Education in an interview with The Island on Tuesday.

“Though we were chosen as hosts more than a year ago we were officially declared as hosts on December 22. Thailand was the other country interested in hosting the event. But we were chosen following our presentation,” said Amaratunga who is also the head of the Sri Lanka Schools Sports Council.

According to Amaratunga the event is likely to be held during the last week of August.

“All track and field events taken part by athletes in the Under 18 age category will be competed at this event. We are in the process of finalizing the disciplines,” he said.

More than 20 countries affiliated to the Asian Schools Sports Federation are eligible to compete at the three-day event. “With the inclusion of Saudi Arabia and Brunei there are now 22 countries affiliated to the Asian Schools Sports Federation.”

The Asian Schools Sports Federation is currently headed by China.

The first two editions of the triennial event were held in Malaysia and China where the competition format included group events with each athlete requested to compete in a throwing, running and a jumping event.

The hosts are yet to finalise the competition format.

The top officials of the Sri Lanka Schools Sports Council consider the regional event as a steppingstone for schools athletes to enter international arena. Incidentally, some of the current national athletes had their first international exposure at the last two Asian Schools Athletics Championships.