By Dhammika Ratnaweera
Kaushalya Perera from Sri Lanka Army came with a fine performance to create a new Sri Lanka record at the women’s Pole Vault event on the second day of the 98th National Athletic championship which now in progress at the Sugatadasa Stadium in Colombo.
After the second day of this National Championships conducted by the Sri Lanka Athletics Army soldier, Kaushalya with a 3.56m leap was able to erase the previous National record of 5.55m which was set up by the athlete from Jaffna Anithathan Jegadeeswaran. K.C Kodituwakku and S.D Ranasinghe both from Sri Lanka Air Force were placed second and third places with 3.10m and 3.00m leaps well behind the record holder Kaushalya Perera.
Meanwhile, the promising athlete Dilshi Kumarasinghe created the major upset of the day by winning women’s 800m defeating two experienced campaigners Nimali Liyanarachchi and Gayanthika Abeyratne. Liyanarachchi the 800m National record holder came to the action after her motorbike accident just before the last South Asian Games and she was running this meet with high expectations to make a comeback but she was finished second with 2.03.20 seconds while Kumarasinghe the product from Walala Ratnayake Vidyalaya ran her seasons best performance with 2.02.80 seconds to win the gold medal. Gayanthika Abeyratne was placed third with a time of 2.03.53 seconds. Dilshi was third after the first 400m but she was able to get the lead during the last 200m with a good fight. In fact, Dilshi Kumarasinghe who was really performed well at the middle distance events recently at the last South Asian Games and was able to defeat both Gayanthika and Nimali at this Nationals and this is a very good sign for the future.
G.R Chaturanga from Sri Lanka Army won the men’s 800 events with 1.49.82 seconds while two other Army athletes W.A.D Kumara and L.S.D Maduranga were placed second and third.
S.M.M Madushani of the Sri Lanka Air Force won the gold medal at the women’s high jump with a 1.60m leap. P.A.I.M.P Perera of Sri Lanka Navy won the women’s Discus throw event with a distance of 38.69 m while the men’s discus throw event won by Z.T.M Aazic with a distance of 44.78 m. Two army athletes R.A.I.S Ranasinghe (13.85sec)and R.R.D Ranatunga (14.33sec) won with women’s 100m and men’s 110m hurdles respectively.
Meanwhile, A.N.L Ariyadasa of Sri Lanka Air Force won the women’s 5000m gold medal while the 3000m steeplechase men’s event won by H.M.I.U.B Hearth.
The second day dominated by Sri Lanka Army athletes with winning seven finals out of ten. The third day of the meet on today (28) while the final day on 29th and this is a good opportunity for National athletes to come up after the lockdown period.
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