After being felled by a bouncer; Maduranga back on the track
Nearly two years after putting a surprising end to his short yet glittering career while being considered as an international medal prospect Sachith Maduranga is likely to make his return to the athletic field if his expectations fall in line.
After quitting javelin throwing Maduranga tried out cricket. Today he is unclear of how the future would treat him
After calling it quits as a javelin thrower, Maduranga (25) took up cricket and turned out for Lankan Cricket Club at Premier First Class level but here too he had to face the unexpected as a fast bowler.
The incumbent holder of the national record in javelin throwing and the former Olympic prospect’s dream of making a name for himself in cricket received a blow in a rude manner when his bowling action was called not legal.
But Maduranga is more comfortable with the present life he is leading, helping his father run the family business, despite a sudden invitation by the newly appointed Minister of Sports turning his day and night into more of a buzz.
“I’m still not sure of what I will do. My family, my father in particular, wants me to take hold of the family business, which I really did not have the interest earlier.
When I was at the peak as a javelin thrower I told my father that I need to be on the run or fully occupied as I have been doing athletics since the age of 13. My body is used to it and I cannot do a job sitting all the time.
I made the same excuse when I wanted to get into cricket. But now I’m fine with what I do, at least my family is happy that I’m with them all the time,” still crossed between the lines, Maduranga stated.
In November 2013, Maduranga was a dejected athlete, who buried the athlete in him and decided seek a bright future as a human being instead, saying that he foresees nothing but a dark future in athletics.
Being overlooked for the national squad, despite establishing a new national record for the first time and repeat of the same event more than once, made him a more distracted man.
Being an energetic and lively character, Maduranga was approached by Anusha Samaranayake, a fast bowling coach attached to the Coaching Department of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
Maduranga, thinking of a return
The fast bowling coaches at SLC was highly impressed with Maduranga’s ability to bowl quicker deliveries that he found a slot in the national fast bowling squad easily.
He played a season for Lankan CC at SLC Premier Level but as the tournament progressed his action was reported by a batsman who could not digest Maduranga’s quick bouncers.
When the tournament was reaching its end unnamed officials attached to the Umpires Department had made Maduranga to understand that his bowling action was illegal.
This has been later confirmed to him by another coach at SLC who happens to be a former national cricketer.
But Maduranga’ does not have any regrets for trying something out he should have done at school level, where current national cricketing star Dinesh Chandimal too has tried to get him into the lucrative sport constantly.
“To be frank I never bowled at school level, neither have I played tennis-ball cricket. So it was a totally new experience for me coming out at top level and making an impression.
I think I did it but with the track and field event I have been engaged at for over a decade, I suppose that made an effect of the action in bowling.
I’m still unaware of outcome or if I will continue playing cricket or whether I will make a comeback to javelin throwing.
At the moment I’m taking things lightly, I will make my decision as it comes and I will have to consult my family before taking a step further,” Maduranga stated.
A former student of Ananda College Colombo with a rich academic background, Maduranga would have thought his undying commitment would lead to a fruitful career in javelin throwing, a sports discipline never regarded as an international medal prospect until recent.
By the time of his premature retirement in 2013, Maduranga has set the Sri Lanka javelin throw record four times and walked out his head held high by achieving the Olympic ‘B’ Standard.
He first claimed the national record in his event by throwing a distance of 77.25 metres at a trail meet held in Sri Lanka.
By 2013 he had broken his own national record thrice and his last achievement came at the Asian Athletics Championship in Pune, India in September 2013.
His achievement of 79.62 metres renewed the existing national record, and come only second to his immediate rival in Pune, Dmitriy Karpov of Kazakhstan who won the gold medal with a distance of 79.76 meters, at Asian level.