Over hundred events at the Junior Athletics Nationals
View(s):Closer to 3500 entries, which is a new record in numbers, have been received for the Junior National Athletics Championship which will be held on May 2, 3, 4 and 5 at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo. This year’s tally of entries outnumbers the so far best of 3300, which was recorded last year according to G.L.S. Perera, the vice president of Athletics Association of Sri Lanka (AASL), the organiser of the four-day meet.
The meet will begin on May 2 at 7.00am, sans an official opening ceremony and will run along until 6.00pm daily until the final day on May 5. According to Perera a total of 132 events, including newly introduced race-walking, have been planned and depending on the weather patterns, they may have to hold the schedule events under lights to complete the respective day’s agenda.
Events will be held for boys and girls of the age categories of Under-16, Under-18, Under-20 and Under-23. The Junior National Athletics Championship will also serve as the final trials for two upcoming international meets to be held in the coming months. Selected athletes from this championship will be drawn for training for the Asian Junior Championship which will be held in Chinese Taipei from June 23 to 25 and the World Junior Championship to be held in Eugene, USA from July 23 to 27. The meet has been brought back to the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo from Diyagama, Homagama considering the convenience of the participants according to Perera.
Bank of Ceylon will sponsor this year’s Junior National Athletics Championship and their general manager, D.M. Gunasekara will grace the awards ceremony on the final day as the chief guest.