Asian Schools Athletics Championship;Best 12 in schools go to Wuhan, China

A 12 member Sri Lankan team was finalised for the 2nd Asian Schools Athletics Championship, from the trials held at Diyagama yesterday.
The selection trial was conducted by the Sri Lanka School Athletics Association and the said Championship will be held from 27 June at Wuhan, China.
Athletes had to take part in two events, one track event and a field event or two field events which then will be aggregated into points from a specific points table. Top 12 athletes (six males and six females) based on their cumulative points of both events were selected for the tour with the limitation of three athletes to one event.
Ten out of first 13 athletes selected long jump as their field event – hence selections were done choosing the first three athletes (top three) for the tour followed by numbers 8, 12 and 13 athletes who had not done long jump after the chosen three since they were the best among the rest who had not chosen long jump as one of their event.
In the female category five out of fist eight athletes had selected long jump as their field event hence best three out of them and the best three from the rest were selected. Incidentally all other three athletes have competed in the high jump as their field event.
Asian Youth Championship participant hurdler Udith Chandrasena topped the male table with performance in the 300m hurdle (38.36 sec) and Long Jump 6.87m while girls’ list was topped by TD Ranathunga with a performance in the long jump (5:43m) and 300m hurdle (46.31 seconds).
Maris Stella’s Rayan Wickramaratne (48.95 seconds) and Welimada CC athlete Omaya Udayangani (57.58 seconds) clocked impressive times in the 400m for their selections.
Lack of participation was highlighted in the trials which was held just three days after the Junior National championship .

Selected athletes

Male:
1 Uditha Chandrasena (Maris Stella, Negombo )
Long Jump 6:87m, 300m hur 38.36 sec
2 L.P.G. Dhananjaya (Joseph Vaz Wennappuwa)

Long Jump 6:32 m, 400m 48.95 sec
4 Nipun Kaldera (Loyola Vidyalaya)
Triple Jump 14.20 m, 200m 22.41 sec
5 A.S. Jayashanka (De Mazenod ,Kandana)
110m hur 14.70 sec, High Jump 1:78 sec
6 H.N. Perera (Kuliyapitiya CC )
110m hur 16:02 sec, High Jump 1.90m

Female:

1 T.D. Ranathunga (Ambagamuwa CC )
Long Jump 5:43m, 300m hur 46.31 sec
2 Purnima Gunaratne (Leeds, Panadura)
High Jump 1.65m, 100m hur 16.46 sec
3 T.T. Thanthirimalage (Maliyadeva BV )
High Jump 1:62m, 100m hur 16.19 sec
4 S.K. Abhayarathna (St.Joseph’s BS )
Long Jump 4:97m, 300m hur 44.84 sec
5 Omaya Udayangani (Welimada CC)
Long Jump 4:81m, 400m 57.56sec
6 RS Cooray (Rathnawali CC)
High Jump 1:62m, 100m hur 16.84 sec