Tharushi, Sithum top Youth Asian lists in their pet events  

World Junior Championship  

by Reemus Fernando  

Despite the absence of schools athletics competitions for more than one and half years now Tharushi Karunaratne and Sithuma Jayasundara have continued to keep the promise they showed during 2019 as they have emerged as the fastest in their disciplines in the Youth category in Asia this year.

Selected in the Under-20 team for the World Junior Championships starting in Nairobi on Wednesday, Ratnayake Central runner Karunaratne and Sir John Kothalawala College, Kurunegala sprinter Jayasundara are the youngest members. Both are eligible to compete in the next edition of the Championship as well as they are still in the Under-18 age category.

Coaches Susantha Fernando and Sunethra Karunanayake should be commended for a job well done in training these athletes during a difficult time to become Asia’s fastest athletes in their respective disciplines in the Under-18 category.

Karunaratne, like her brother Harsha who went on to win an Asian Youth Championship medal, has raised Sri Lanka Youth girls’ 800 metres profile to new heights. Competing against senior runners including Nimali Liyanarachchi at the first leg of the National Athletics Championship in May Karunaratne clocked a time of 2:07.21 seconds to qualify for the World Junior event.

According to World Athletics statistics her silver-winning feat at the Nationals is the fastest time a girl in Asia in her age has achieved this season. Shanika Lakshani who will also compete in the 800 metres with Karunaratne in Nairobi had only a time of 2:12.23 when she was Under-18 in 2019.

South Asian Games gold medalist Dilshi Kumarasinghe, who is also trained by Fernando had only a time of 2:10.67 when she was Under-18 in 2016.

Jayasundara meanwhile has dropped nearly a second from his previous best to become the fastest in the 400 metres in his age category in Asia. Competing against athletes who are two years senior to him he was placed third behind Isuru Kaushalya and Dilshan Bandara at the Junior Trials held in July. Yet in the Under-18 category his time of 47.86 seconds is the fastest in Asia in 400 metres this year. He is in Nairobi only as a reserve for the 4×400 metres mixed relay but going by the World Athletics statistics both Jayasundara and Karunaratne are poised for medal winning performances if the postponed Asian Youth Championship is held this year.

Both Jayasundara and Karunaratne were identified as future prospects in 2019 when they produced record breaking performances at All Island Junior competitions in the Under-16 age category. At the All Island Schools Games Athletics Championship in 2019, Jayasundara won the Under-16 boys 100, 200 and 400 metres, with records in the last two. Karunaratne took under her belt the Under-16 400 and 800 metres records at the same championship.

They are not the only athletes to produce such outstanding performances in the junior category. Many athletes who produced such feats had disappeared after reaching senior level due to many reasons. Luckily both athletes have received the recognition of Sri Lanka Athletics and the National Olympic Committee. It is hoped that the support given to them is continued and consistent.