A 10-member Sri Lanka Athletics team took off to India amidst the Pandemic to compete at the 66th National Interstate Athletics Championship which will see its opening today (25) and go on till the 29th June in Patiala, India.
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The team to India includes all all those who unfortunately missed the tour to Kazakhstan due to visa issues. The athletes were, Kalinga Kumarage, Nadeesha Ramanayaka, Sumedha Ranasinghe and Nimali Liyanarachchi.
Sri Lanka Athletics request to add Himasha Eashan, Aruna Darshana, Waruna Lakshan Dayarathne and Nadeeka Lakmali was rejected by the Ministry of Sports. However, they approved the addition of Nilani Rathnayaka who is currently within the Olympic quota for the 3000m steeplechase. The 4x100m women’s relay team will participate in competition after the South Asian Games in 2016 and 2019.
The team comprises the first five athletes in the last National Athletics Championship, of which four are below 21 years. Amasha de Silva, Shelinda Jansen, Medhani Jayamanne and Safiya Yamic will run the relay, while senior pro Lakshika Sugandhi is included as the fifth member. Apart from Sri Lanka, Athletics federation of India has invited athletes from Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia and Kazakhstan for the competition.
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Team:
Sumedha Ranasinghe (Javelin Throw), Kalinga Kumarage (400m), Nadeesha Ramanayaka (400m), Nimali Liyanarachchi (800m), Nilani Rathnayaka (3000m St. Ch)
4×100 Relay Team:
Amasha de Silva, Shelinda Jansen, Medhani Jayamanne, Safiya Yamic, Lakshika Sugandhi
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