Sri Lanka win five medals at Asian Youth Athletics Championship 

by Reemus Fernando   

Wickramabahu National School, Gampola athlete Nirmali Wickramasinghe won the silver medal in the girls’ 800 metres as Sri Lanka’s medal count increased to five at the Asian Youth Athletics Championships in Kuwait. Wickramasinghe clocked 2:15.42 seconds to clinch the silver behind India’s Ashakiran Barla, who returned a time of 2:06.79 seconds to claim the gold.  Despite the country’s best medal hopeful Madushani Herath failing to win a medal in the girls’ long jump, Sri Lanka youth team were enjoying the highest medal count in this four-editions-old Championships as five athletes clinched medals in Kuwait.

Lyceum International, Panadura athlete Razwin Carrim was competing in the long jump when this edition went to press in the evening yesterday, the last day of the meet. Of the other seven athletes who competed during the first three days, five accounted for five medals.  Thurstan College sprinter Salamuthu Jayathilaka and Sir John Kothalawala College, Kurunegala athlete Theminda Rajapaksa opened the medal hunt clinching the silver and bronze respectively in the boys’ 400 metres on Friday. Jayathilaka clocked 48.58 seconds to finish second, while Rajapaksa returned a time of 48.70 seconds for his bronze.

In the boys’ high jump, where the winner scaled a height of 2.21 metres, the Sri Lankan duo settled for the silver and bronze. Bodagama M.V., Thanamalwila athlete Deneth Anuhas cleared a height of 2.01 metres for his silver. D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo athlete Lesandu Arthavidu cleared a height of 1.97 metres for his bronze. Of the ten athletes who competed only the first three cleared the 1.97 metres mark. The four-day championship which was scheduled to culminate yesterday was originally scheduled for 2021 but was postponed due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

When Sri Lanka competed in the debut championships in Doha the country won four medals including a gold. That remained the highest medal count until this edition as Sri Lanka won only two (2017- 1-silver, 1-bronze) and three (2019- 2- silver, 1-bronze) medals respectively in the next two editions.