KitSports » Shehan Ambepitiya

Western Province overall champions..

kit-sports editor — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 01:03:45 +0000

Western Province dominated the medals table from the beginning and emerged overall champions with 77 gold, 66 silver and 53 bronze medals in the 41st National Sports Festival concluded at the Diyagama Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium yesterday.

Central Province became runner-up with 47gold, 33silver and 57 bronze medals while the North Western Province secured third place winning 26 gold, 27 silver and 34 bronze medals.

Two Sri Lanka records and 12 new meet records were established during the three-day meet. High jumper Manjula Kumara from Southern Province who leaped to 2.19m was adjudged the Best Male Athlete. Manjula retained the title for the second consecutive year as he was awarded the Best Athlete award at the 40th NSF in Anuradhapura last year.

Western Province’s N.C.D. Priyadarshani who set up a new Sri Lanka record in women’s long jump with a distance of 6.43m was awarded the Best Female Athlete award. Priyadarshani erased the previous SL record created by N.K. Chandrasena in 2002 (6.40m).
The Best Athlete (female) N.C.D. Priyadarshani (WP) and Best Athlete (male) Manjula Kumara of Southern Province with their awards.

The first SL record of this year’s meet was established by P. K. A. A. Madhuwanthi of Uva Province in the hammer throw event (43.18m). She erased her own previous record of 42.74m.

M. V. Suranjaya of Southern Province set up two new Meet Records in 100m and 200m events. He became the fastest man by finishing 100m in 10.45 secs and broke the 17-year previous record (10.47 secs) set up by Chinthaka de Soysa. He created his second meet record by erasing Shehan Ambepitiya’a previous 200m record (21.28secs) with a timing of 21.02 secs.

The Sri Lanka record holder for women’s Javelin throw, Southern Province’s Nadeeka Lakmali set up a new Meet Record of 58.52m, erasing her previous record (57.89m). Nadeeka’s National record is 60.64m.

The 42nd National Sports Festival will be held in Northern Province next year.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe was also present at the meet, but left before the award ceremony.

New records of the meet –

Men’s

Javelin throw – R. M. S. J. Ranasinghe (Sabaragamuwa) 75.91m

Pole-vault – M. H. I. Sandaruwan (WP) 4.83m

200m – M.V. Suranjaya (SP) 21.02secs

100m – M.V. Suranjaya (SP) 10.45secs

Women’s

Hammer throw – P. K. A. A. Madhuwanti (Uva) 43.18m (NSLR)

Long jump – N. C. D. Priyadarshni (WP) 6.43m (NSLR)

5000m – Nilani Ratnayaka (Sabaragamuwa) 16.50:67 Minutes

Triple jump – Vidusha Lakshani (WP) 12.98m

800m – W. K. L. A. Nimali (SP) 2.05:32 Minutes

400m Hurdles – W. P. E. R. Dulakshi (SP) 59.51secs

Javelin throw – Nadeeka Lakmali (SP) 58.52m

400mx4 – Southern Province 3.43:98 Minutes

Nimali Liyanarachchi -wins Gold

kit-sports editor — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 00:22:28 +0000

Sri Lanka’s solitary medalist at the recently concluded Asian Athletics Championships, Nimali Liyanarachchi eased to victory at the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix (AGP) series which was held at in Pathum Thani, Thailand yesterday.

Among 13 Sri Lankan athletes who took part in the first of three AGP legs this year, Nimali was the only gold medalist. She clocked 2:07.18 secs in her pet event, the women’s 800 metres event while her former training partner Gayanthika Abeyratne, who clocked a disappointing 2:07.95 secs, was placed fourth.

Nimali was hoping to better the 23-year old Sri Lanka record for the women’s 800 metres, owned by Sriyani Dhammika Manike after missing the same by a whisker at Wuhan earlier this month. However, Nimali will have two more shots within the next few days, at the second and third legs of the AGP.

The Sri Lanka men’s 4X100m relay team, who broke the Sri Lanka record twice at the Asian Championship while finishing fourth, secured the silver medal at Bangkok last afternoon.

The Lankan team which included Himasha Eshan, Shehan Ambepitiya, Vinoj Suranjaya and Mohomed Ashroff, clocked 39.58 seconds to grab the second place behind Hong Kong team who won the gold with 39.41 seconds. Thailand finished third with 39.65 seconds.

Indunil Herath ran a much faster 800-metre final than he did at Wuhan and added a silver to his account. He clocked 1:49.52 seconds behind India’s Jinson Johnson who clocked 1:49.52 seconds and this kind of a run could have easily brought him a silver medal at the recently concluded Asian Championships.

Among the other Lankan athletes who tried their luck at the Asian Grand Prix yesterday, Manjula Kumara was placed fifth (2.19m) in the men’s high jump, Amila Jayasiri finished eighth (7.11m) in the men’s long jump, Waruna Lakshan Dayaratne was ranked sixth (71.09m) in the Men’s Javelin Throw and in the men’s 400 metres, Kalinga Kumarage (47.05 sec) and Anjana Gunaratne (47.32 sec) were placed fifth and seventh in the overall rankings.

The second leg of the AGP will be held in Chanthaburi on June 29. CW

Sri Lankans at first leg of AGP

800m women:

Nimali Liyanaarachchi – 1st (2:07.18 sec),

Gayanthika Abeyratne – 4th (2:07.95 sec)

800 men:

lndunil Herath – 2nd (1:49.52 sec)

4X100m Relay men:

Sri Lanka – 2nd (39.58 sec)

High Jump Men:

Manjula Kumara – 5th (2.19m)

Long Jump men:

Amila Jayasiri – 8th (7.11m)

Javelin Throw Men:

Waruna Lakshan – 6th (71 .09m)

400m men- Kalinga Kumarage – 5th overall

(47.05 sec), Anjana Gunaratne -7th overall (47.32 sec)

Rumeshika Ratnayake;SL New national record in 4X100m relay (39.38 sec)

kit-sports editor — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 01:30:07 +0000

Sri Lanka men’s 4X100m relay team set a new national record as they missed the medal by 0.03 seconds while schoolgirl sprinter Rumeshika Ratnayake clocked a personal best of 11.56 seconds in 100m on the second day of the 21st Asian Athletics Championship held yesterday here in Wuhan China.
Ratnayake stunned the spectators as she clocked the third fastest time by 100m female sprinter in Sri Lankan history (11.56 seconds), as she finished sixth in the women’s 100m finals.
“I wanted to answer to people who doubted my ability and did not select me for the tour at first and also for those who trusted me. My target was 11.6 seconds and I did below that,” said Rumeshika who had mixed feelings about missing a medal as well as clocking an amazing time.
In the men’s 4X100m relay, schoolboy Himasha Eashan took the start of the relay followed by Shehan Ambepitiya, Suranjaya de Silva and Mohommad Ashroff in the final lap where all did their best and ran best for the country as they clocked 39.38 seconds, a new Sri Lanka record for the second time in the day. Still they couldn’t finish in the podium.
They ended fourth behind China, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei who finished just 0.03 seconds in front (39.35 seconds) for the third place.
By doing so, Sri Lanka beat teams like Thailand who are Asian giants in relay running, while also finishing ahead of India.
Earlier in the heat Sri Lanka clocked 39.59 seconds (a new record) and finished third to advance for the finals.
The Sri Lanka team erased the previous record of 39.71 seconds set by Prabashitha Caldera, Umanga Surendra, D. Dissanayake and Joy Danushka Perera in 2004 at the Asian Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, female hurdler Niluka Wickremasinghe clocked a disappointing 61.66 seconds and finished fourth in the heat, while failing to advance.
Chandrika Rasnayake clocked a disappointing 54.24 seconds to finish fifth in the 400m women finals. Chaminda Wijekoon clocked 14:23.77 sec and finished 9th in the 5000m men’s final.
Today will be a rest for competition which will resume tomorrow.