Thivanka shatters Manjula Kumara’s national record

Produces third best performance in the world this year

by Reemus Fernando

Former Maris Stella College, Negombo athlete Ushan Thivanka was awarded a car when he was adjudged the best athlete of the National Sports Festival in 2019. Months later he sold it and utilized that money to enter a university in the USA. But an athlete nursing an injury would not be granted a full scholarship. Odds were against him. Ushan, the only son of polio victim parents, had an injury to overcome, exams to pass while pursuing the lifetime ambition of achieving success in the high jump.

Yesterday, Thivanka shattered the 16-year old national high jump record held by Manjula Kumara at the Texas Relays Championship with a performance that would rank as the world’s third best outdoor performance of the year.

Thivanka cleared 2.28 metres to win the event as he bettered Manjula Kumara’s 2004 mark by one centimeter.

Thivanka, who, earlier this month shattered Olympian Kumara’s indoor national record, was competing in his first outdoor event of the year.

“I am happy to have achieved this feat. And also I am relieved as I have exams to concentrate seriously. Failing them would deny me the chance to compete. Now even if I clear 2.25 metres at the next meet that would be enough I suppose for me to win an Olympic spot through world rankings,” said Thivanka in an interview with The Island yesterday.

“I have a really tough schedule. I have to study, train and also to earn some money for both my studies and to see to my parents’ wellbeing. I collect plastic bottles (to be recycled) to earn some money after the universities cut on the scholarship due to Covid 19 pandemic,” said Thivanka.

Thivanka also recalled how he bargained for the scholarship in the US and how he had to spend his own funds to find treatments for his injury in China.

“I did not fully recover after the treatments in China. But I could do well at the National Sports Festival due to the treatments received in China. I decided to sell the car which I received as the gift for the best athlete at the 2019 National Sports Festival to pursue higher education and high jump. I had no hesitation at all as I knew that I could overcome my injury in the USA.”

Thivanka first went to the USA in 2018 and Olympian and Asia Games medallist Nagalingam Ethirweerasingham influenced him to take up higher education in that country where Manjula Kumara also graduated.

Ethirweerasingham, who has followed Thivanka’s progress in the USA closely was the first to predict that the champion athlete has the potential to break Manjula Kumara’s record before June this year and strive for an Olympic berth.

The World Athletics has set a very high qualifying standard of 2.33 metres for Tokyo Olympics. While 12 athletes will be selected from qualifying standards, 20 other athletes reaching top world rankings will be eligible for the postponed games.