The 19th Asian Games is finally underway in Hangzhou, China. Even though the official dates of the multi-sport event are from 23rd September to 8th October, some of the preliminary rounds in Women’s Cricket, Rowing and Beach Volleyball have already begun.
483 gold medals will be at stake as 12,500 competitors from 45 countries vie for glory during the 15-day regional sports extravaganza.
Team Sri Lanka will compete in over 20 sports with 96 athletes (62 males and 34 females) in the fray, vying to bring back glory. Apart of Rugby, all the other sports will compete under the Sri Lanka flag with Cricket, Athletics, Wrestling and Weightlifting expected to bring medals.
The Men’s Sevens Rugby team will compete under the OCA (Olympic Committee of Asia) flag due to the ban imposed by World Rugby on Sri Lanka Rugby. Play-maker Tarinda Ratwatte will lead the outfit.
2002 Silver Medallist in Golf, Anura Rohana will be the oldest flag-bearer of the Asian Games as he does the honours for Sri Lanka alongside Gayanthika Abeyratne. At 52, Rohana is still competing in the highest levels as a Pro Golfer. Rohana and middle-distance runner Abeyrathne will be the flag-bearers for Sri Lanka in the opening ceremony which will be held on 23rd September at the Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou, China.
- Sri Lanka’s National Esports Team Powered by Dialog is looking to bring gold back for the nation at the 19th Asian Games
- Rower Maheshi Liyanage qualify for Asian Games semi-finals
The Athletics contingent will surely miss the services of sprinter Yupun Abeykoon, who is out of Asian Games due to an injury. The 4×400 Relay teams have an outside chance of a medal whilst Tharushi Karunaratne, Gayanthika Abeyrathne and Kalinga Kumarage will also be medal hopefuls in their individual events.
The Women’s Cricket Team led by Chamari Athapaththu is already in the semi-finals of the competition, whilst off-spinning all-rounder Sahan Arachchige will lead the Men’s Cricket team.
For the first time, E-Sports has been introduced as a medal event and Sri Lanka will compete in the PUBG Mobile event.
Nethmi Ahinsa, Sri Lanka’s youngest Commonwealth Games medal winner in Wrestling is another promising hope for the island nation. In Weightlifting, Dilanka Isuru Kumara, following a medal win in Birmingham last year, may have an outside chance to bring back a medal.
Athletics will begin from 29th September and will have events until the 4th of October, whilst the Men’s Cricket team will be in action from 4th October. The Rugby games will be contested from 24th to 26th September.
Swimmers Matthew Abeysinghe, Akalanka Peiris and Ganga Senavirathne will be in action from 24th to 28th September.
The Weightlifting and Wresting medal hopefuls will be trying their best on the 1st and 5th of October respectively.
Await all the details of the Team Sri Lanka contingent on ThePapare.com – Sri Lanka’s number one sports hub, bringing an extensive coverage on the 19th Asian Games from Hangzhou, China.
Aquatics – Matthew Abeysinghe (Men’s 100m Freestyle, Men’s 50m Butterfly, Men’s 50m Freestyle), Akalanka Peiris (Men’s 50m Backstroke, Men’s 50m Butterfly), Ganga Senavirathne (Women’s 100m Backstroke, Women’s 50m Backstroke, Women’s 200m Backstroke)
Athletics – Kalinga Kumarage (Men’s 400m, Men’s 4x400m Relay, Mixed 4x400m Relay), Aruna Dharshana (Men’s 400m, Men’s 4x400m Relay, Mixed 4x400m Relay), Pabasara Niku (Men’s 4x400m Relay), Rajitha Rajakaruna (Men’s 4x400m Relay, Mixed 4x400m Relay), Dinuka Deshan (Men’s 4x400m Relay), Pasindu Kodikara (Men’s 4x400m Relay), Rumeshika Rathnayake (Women’s 200m), Nadeesha Ramanayake (Women’s 400m, Women’s 4x400m Relay, Mixed 4x400m Relay), Tharushi Karunaratne (Women’s 800m, Women’s 4x400m Relay, Mixed 4x400m Relay), Gayanthika Abeyrathne (Women’s 800m, Women’s 1500m, Mixed 4x400m Relay), Jayeshi Uththara (Women’s 4x400m Relay), Sayuri Mendis (Women’s 4x400m Relay), Sarangi Silva (Women’s Long Jump), Nadeesha Lekamge (Women’s Javelin Throw)
Men’s Cricket – Sahan Arachchige (Captain), Ashen Bandara, Nuwanidu Fernando, Lasith Croospulle, Shevon Daniel, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Lahiru Udara, Sachitha Jayathilake, Ravindu Fernando, Ranitha Liyanarachchi, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Nimesh Vimukthi, Lahiru Samarakoon, Nuwan Thushara, Isitha Wijesundara
Women’s Cricket – Chamari Athapaththu (Captain), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshi De Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Imesha Dulani, Anushka Sanjeewani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Hasini Perera, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Achini Kulasooriya, Inoshi Fernando
Badminton – Viren Nettasinghe (Men’s Singles)
Archery – Sajeev De Silva (Recurve Men’s Individual), Anuradha Karunaratne (Compound Women’s Individual), Wasantha Kumara (Compound Men’s Individual)
Boxing – Rukmal Prasanna (Men’s 57kg), Niraj Wijewardena (Men’s 71kg)
Chess – Susal Thewjan De Silva (Men’s Individual)
E-Sports – Mohammad Rizny, Kavindu Ishara Fernando, Chamuditha Watshan, Mohammad Riham
Judo – Chamara Nuwan Dharmawardana (Men’s 73kg)
Karate – Heshani Hettiarachchi (Women’s Individual Kata), Denetha Avihinsa Fernando (Men’s Kumite 67kg)
Squash – Chanithma Sinaly (Mixed Doubles), Mohomad Shamil (Mixed Doubles), Ravindu Laksiri (Men’s Singles)
Taekwondo – Chalinda Sampath Liyanage (Men’s 58kg), P.K Mahadula (Women’s 49kg)
Weightlifting – Indika Dissanayake (Men’s 73kg), Dilanka Isuru Kumara (Men’s 61kg)
Wrestling – Nethmi Ahinsa (Women’s Freestyle 53kg)
Wushu – Pathum Nuwan (Men’s 60kg), Nipun Shanika (Men’s 65kg)
Sailing – Taalya Tranchell (Girls ILCA4), Tharen Nanayakkara (Boys ILCA4)
Rowing – Nuwan Sampath (Men’s Double Sculls), Maheshi Liyanage (Women’s Single Sculls, Women’s Double Sculls), Mohammed Nafiran (Men’s Double Sculls, Men’s Single Sculls), Jayani Hirunika (Women’s Double Sculls)
Rugby – Tarinda Ratwatte (Captain), Heshan Jansen, Gemunu Chethiya, Adeesha Weeratunga, Ramesh Fernando, Dinupa Seneviratne, Anjula Hettiarachchi, Darshana Dabare, Akash Madushanka, Adam Gaudar, Raveen de Silva, Kavindu de Costa
Golf – N Thangarajah, Anura Rohana, R.K Prabhagaran, Chamika Perera
Women’s Beach Volleyball – Chathurika Madushani, Deepika Bandara
Artistic Gymnastics – Nadila Nethviru Ambuldeniyage
