Sri Lanka finished the first day at the South Asian Junior Athletic Championship with two gold, seven silver and six bronze medals in Ranchi, India yesterday.
Asian Junior Championships gold medallist Shivanthi Rathnayake clocked an impressive 56.88 seconds to win the gold medal in the 400m for women while Vidusha Lakshani won the second gold medal with a feat of 12.68 metres in the women’s triple jump.
The 19-year-old Rathnayake who had not taken part in any competition for a year since her medal winning performance at last year’s Asian junior meet in Colombo maintained her awesome form as she raced to victory to lift the Lion flag high.
Lakshani from Newstead Girls College set the All Island School Games record to qualify for the Ranchi meet is a product of jumping specialist Philip Ranjith.
Nirmalee Madushika won the silver with a time of 57.07 seconds in the women’s 400m event.
Asian Youth Games bronze medallist Madushika hails from Kataluwa, Galle.
Thrower Amanthi Oshadi Silva from St. Bridget’s Convent Colombo won silver medal in the women’s shot putt with a throw of 11.96 meters. Amanthi trained under veteran throwing coach A.J. Rodrigo will be eyeing gold medal in discus throw today.
Nalanda College athlete Kupun Kushantha won silver medal in the men’s 800m after a close battle where he clocked 1minute 54.08 seconds.
Sri Lanka also won silver medals in the men’s triple jump when Atheetha Kumarasinghe cleared a distance of 15.41 meters and through high jumper Thilina Karunaratne of Royal College. Karunaratne, trained by national champion Manjula Kumara, cleared 2.06 meters. Lavus Livington won a silver medal in the men’s javelin throw with a distance of 61.067 meters.
Chamika Gunaratne won a silver medal in the women’s javelin throw clearing a distance of 40.94 meters.
Sri Lanka also won four bronze medals at the championship. Rumeshika Ratnayake, another sprinter from St. Joseph’s BV Kegalle, won the bronze medal in the 100m girl’s final. She clocked 12. 23 seconds for this feat.
Dhanushka Maduranga won the bronze medal in the men’s 5000m event (15:57.76 seconds) while Sanjuna Sumanaweera won the bronze medal in the men’s shot putt with a throw of 15.62 metres.
Mahesha Weerasekara won the bronze medal of the women’s 1500m (4:52.46 seconds) while favourite Pramodha Abeysinghe of A. Rathnayake Central College Walala didn’t finish the race .
Sprint sensation Himasha Eashan qualified for the 100m final today as he clocked 10.64 seconds in the 100m heats to finish first. Harshan Chathuranga of St. Peter’s College and Samith Lakmal of Seevali CC Rathnapura qualified for today’s 400m men’s final.
The championship will conclude today.
