Sri Lanka’s star in the pool, Matthew Abeysinghe has been elected as captain of the Sri Lanka Swim squad that will be participating at the fast approaching South Asian Games 2019, in Kathmandu/Pokhara Nepal from the 1st to the 10th of December.
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A total of 19 swimmers, 11 Male and 8 female, have been deemed fit to represent the country in Nepal.
Matthew Abeysinghe, who broke the record for most Gold medals won at a South Asian Games at the 2016 edition, brought back 7 Gold medals, 2 Silvers and 1 Bronze, winning 10 of his 11 events. He shattered the previous record established by Julian Bolling back in the 1991 South Asian Games.
Abeysinghe currently holds five South Asian Records and was also able to break a Sri Lankan record in the 400m Medley at the last edition. He is undoubtedly the best fit to lead the team and once again bring back a heavy match bag from the Pool.
National record holders Akalanka Peiris and Cherantha De Silva will be joining Abeysinghe in the charge. Below is the recommended Men’s team for the Games presented by the SAG selection committee.
| Name | Events |
| Matthew Abeysinghe | 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley, 100m Freestyle Relay, 200m Freestyle Relay |
| Akalanka Peiris | 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly, 100m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle Relay |
| Kavindra Nugawela | 200m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle Relay ( R ), 200m Freestyle Relay ( R ) |
| B D Shehan | 400m Freestyle, 1500m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle |
| Shevinda De Silva | 50m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke, |
| Kiran Jaasinghe | 50m Breaststroke, 100m Breaststroke, 200m Breaststroke, |
| Cherantha De Silva | 50m Butterfly, 100m Butterfly, 200m Butterfly, 100m Freestyle Relay, |
| Sandev Senarathne | 200m Butterfly, |
| Revan Senaratna | 400m Individual Medley |
| Stephan Perera | 100m Freestyle Relay, 200m Freestyle Relay |
| Kavin Weerasinghe ( R ) | 200m Freestyle Relay ( R ) |
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While the men’s team looks a solid pick, the Women’s team still hangs in the balance with National sensation Kimiko Raheem pulling out due to an injury. Raheem was one of the key medal getters of the 2016 squad, winning five Gold medals along with a Silver.
She was scheduled to participate in 6 events in Nepal this year, including the Relay and medals from all six were expected by the local authorities. However, with the exclusion of the US based swimmer, the selection committee will comb through the remaining swimmers for a suitable replacement, or even two.
Read : 36 Swimmers drafted for South Asian Games
Currently, the confirmed Womens team is as below.
| Name | Events |
| Bhakthi Karunasena | 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle Relay, 200m Freestyle Relay |
| Ramudi Samarakoon | 200m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 800m Freestyle |
| Ganga Seneviratne | 50m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle Relay, 200m Freestyle Relay |
| Aniqah Gaffoor | 50m Butterfly, 100m Butterfly, 200m Butterfly |
| Sandu Savindi | 50m Butterfly, 100m Butterfly, 100m Freesyle Relay, 200m Freestyle Relay |
| Shazna Mahir | 400m Individual Medley |
| Hiruki De Silva | 100m Freestyle Relay ( R ) |
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