Hishan Welmilla reporting

September 3-Sri Lankan sprinters Prasanna Amarasekera and Rohan Pradee Kumara brought Sri Lanka glory as the won the silver and bronze medals in the Men’s 400m finals of the 16th Asian Athletics Championships concluded here at the Munhak stadium in Incheon, South Korea today.

Prasanna clocked 46.48 seconds while his compatriot Rohan Pradeep 46.42. Gold medal went to China’s Yuzo Karemera who finished the race with a time of 46.04

In the men’s 400m heats Roahan Pradeep Kumara finished first in the first heat with a time of 46.46 seconds while his team mate Prasanna Amarasekera clinched the second place in the first heat with a time of 46.69 seconds to earn his place in the men’s 400m finals.

Menaka Priyanthi who competed in the women’s 400m finals and finished sixth and she clocked 53.80 seconds. Menaka Priyanthi finished third in her heat in the women’s version of the 400m events with a time of 54.05 seconds.

Overall yesterday was a very successful day.

Women’s 200m and 400m Asian Championship record holder Damayanthi Dharsha, another medal prospect for Sri Lanka participated in the women’s 200m heats and got her in to the finals of the event which will get underway tomorrow at 11.45 Sri Lankan Time. She finished first in her heat with a time of 23.66 seconds.

Darsha has a clear chance of winning a medal this time. Dhrasha holds the Asian Championship record jointly with Susanthika Jayasinghe.

In the men’s version of the 200m Prasanna Amarasekera also earned a place in the finals after completing his heat with a time of 21.41 seconds. The finals will be held tomorrow at 11.30am Sri Lankan Time.

In the yesterdays events Mangala Priyadarshani competed in the women’s 800m and finished fifth. She clocked 2 minutes 11:15 seconds

The other medal hope for Sri Lanka is the men’s 4x400 relay. Rohan Pradeep Kumara, Rohitha Pushpakumara, Lanka Perera and Prasanna Amarasekera finished first in the first heat of the event with a time of 3 minutes 07:98 second to earn a place in the finals on Friday which is schedule to get under way tomorrow (Sunday). Sri Lankans recorded the best timing between two heats.

In the last Asian Athletics Championships held in Manila, Philippines (from September 20-23 in 2003 ) Rohan Pradeep Kumara, Ranga Wimalawansa, Prassana Amerasekera and Sugath Tillekeratne were responsible in winning the Sri Lanka’s only gold at the men’s 4x400 relay with a time of 3:03:05.

Two athletes from the last time winning team running for Sri Lanka and it will be an added advantage in the Sri Lanka’s quest to win the men’s 4x400m relay.

High jumper Manjula Kumara another medal prospect will also take part in the men’s high jump finals tomorrow. It schjeduled to get underway at 11.00 am Sri Lankan Time

Manjula Kumara placed eleventh position at the last championship where he jumped 2.10m. Manjula Kuamara recorded his personal best height of 2.27m last year in Sri Lanka which enabled him to make an eleventh hour entry to the Olympic Games in Athens and cleared 2.15 m in the qualifying round in Helsinki.

Three Sri Lankans missing

Sri Lankan camp was very much in unrest on the first day (September1) as Sri Lanka sprinter K. Suminda Mendis has gone missing. Mendis who was to run for Sri Lanka in yesterday's men's 4 x 100m first round heats, had left the team hotel on the eve of his event. Sources added that Mendis had left his passport, Asian championship accreditation card and personal belongings before leaving his team, probably seeking employment in the South Korean capital. Another two athletes W V S Ravindra Kumara (4x100)and Indika Kumara De Silva (110 m hurdles)also missing at the end of the third day which put Sri Lankan team officials authorities in to a deep trouble. According to the reports a few more athletes to follow the suit.

Asian Athletics- New Asia and three Championship records

Iran’s Ehsan Hadadi established a new Asian and championship record for the men’s discuss throw on the first day of the Championship. Hadadi threw a distance of 65.25 m to over come Chaina’s Shaojie Li’s Asian record. Li established this record in 1996. The Championship record for the event was belonging to Qatar’s Rashid Shafi Al-Dosari who threw a distance of 64.43m at the Colombo Asian athletic championship in 2002.

Japan’s Miho Sugimori established a new championship record in women’s 1500m event. She clocked 4 minutes 12:69 seconds to erase the previous record held by Liu Jing of China. Liu finished the event with a time of 4 minutes 12:76 seconds at the Asian athletic Championships held in Fukuoka Japan in 1998.

Two Chinese athletes who participated in the men’s 110 hurdles finals set two championship records. Xiang LIU who got the gold medal finished the race with a time of 13.30 while his teammate SH Dongpeng clocked 13.44 to clinch the silver. Both athletes erased the previous championship record held by Li Tong also from China. Tong clocked 13.49 at the Manila Asian athletics Championships.

Another championship record was broke on the third day as Aimin Song of China threw a distance of 65.15m in the women’s discus throw finals. Yu Hourun also from china was the previous record holder with a distance of 61.92m, which was established in New Delhi Championship in 1989.

China dominated the medal table with 14 gold 6 silver and 5 Bronze at the end of the third day of the championship. Japan in the second place with three gold, 3 silver and 7 bronze and Qatar is in the third place with three gold 1 silver and 3 bronze. Sri Lankan is in the twlwth position with one silver and bronze.

Nearly 1000 athletes from 43 countries will be in action in this four-day competition in 43 sports events (22 for male and 21 for female). Sri Lanka field 31 male and female athletes to this event and Sunday will be the last day of the 16th Asian Athletics Championships.