Five new records, two equaled on day one
Five new records were established and two records equaled on day one of the two day 16th Senior and 15th Lanka Lions Athletics Championships which was held at the Diyagama Sports Complex yesterday.
The five new records comprised four in the field events and one in the track event while the two records to be equaled was one each in the track and field events.
Udantha Nawaratne of Gateway
In the U-18 boys shot putt event K.K.S.S. Thamel of St. Peter’s Bambalapitiya set a new record of 14.61m. This erased the existing record of 12.89 by H. Wijegunawardena of Kandy district which he achieved last year.
Joy Dhanushka Perera of Navy threw the shot putt to a new distance of 15.57m in the open men’s shot putt event to break his own record of 14.81 which he did in 2012.
W.A.D. Ashan Lakmal of Colombo set new record of 41.6secs in the U-16 boys 300m hurdles while D.S. Ranasinghe of Army threw a new distance of 69.97m in the open men’s javelin and the last record of the day being in the U-18 boys discuss throw where K.A.P. Jayawardena of Ananda College Chilaw set a new record of 44.72m to better the record of 43.38 by K.L. Charith Nalaka in 2003.
Hasini Rangika of Hanwella Rajasinghe MV
Shenali Imeshka of St. Lawrence Wattala equaled the record of 1.60m in the U-16 girls’ high jump event while Umanga Surendra and W.J.I.T. Fernando both of Army equaled the 100m timing of 10.80secs which stood in favour of Umanga and Dhanushka Gajanayake’s name.
The 16th Senior and 15th Lanka Lions Athletics Championships organised by the Lanka Lions SC saw the participation of over 1000 athletes from around the island in different age groups.
In fact according to an official there was a decrease of participants this time due to the 57th Junior National Athletics Championships which ended only a few days ago at the Sugathadasa Stadium being too close.
Another reason was that the trial to select the athletes for international meets due to be held later in the year is also to be held very soon and some of these athletes did not want to take any risks. The meet will be continued today.