The first selection trials to pick youth and senior athletics pools ahead of a demanding international calendar will be held at the Sugathadasa Stadium starting April 6 (Saturday). The event will conclude on Monday.
The Athletics Association has decided to combine the youth trials with the senior trials in order to give the youth athlete ample time to prepare for at least two major competitions – the World Youth Championships and Asian Youth Games in China.
“We are running the senior and junior trials concurrently in order to give the young athletes enough time to prepare for competitions. Our main aim is the Asian Youth Games this year and the Olympic Youth Games next year,” said Sunil Jayaweera, senior vice-president Athletics Association of Sri Lanka.
The seniors on the other hand will be looking at three competitions – the Asian Grand Prix, Asian Championships and the World Championships.
The Asian Grand Prix, the first international event for the Sri Lankan athletes will be held on May 5 and 8 in Thailand, and on May 12 in Colombo while the date and the place of the Asian Championships are yet to be finalized after Chennai’s refusal to host the event if the Sri Lankan athletes are competing, due to political reasons.
Also athletes who are above age 17 will take part in the senior trials trying to get selected for World Youth Championship, Ukraine in July this year.
