Anil Jayalath sets his eyes on Rio after record breaking effort
Anil Prasanna Jayalath of the Commando Sports Club established a new Asian record in the T42 Open Men’s 200m with a time of 25.63secs. It was the highlight of the Sri Lanka National Para Athletic Championships concluded at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Complex Diyagama yesterday.
Prasanna lowered his own record of 25.81secs which he set by overtaking the record of Yama Moto of Japan established at the 2015 World Para Athletic Championship in Qatar.
Prasanna who hails from Ampara speaking to the Sunday Times said his main aim is to take part in Rio Paralympics to be held in Brazil in September this year.
At the 2014 South Korea Para Asian Games Prasanna brought fame to the motherland by winning a gold in 200m, a silver in 100m and long jump events.
A total of 24 meet records were set at this year’s meet worked off in 184 track and field events.
T.M.R. Tennekoon of Wijeyaba Sports Club was crowned the Best Athlete Open events for winning three gold medals in 200m, 100m and 800m events including two meet records.
Rehab Lanka Sports Club’s Amara Indumathie and Niluka Damayanthi were declared joint winners as Best Women Athletes. Indumathie won three gold medals in the 100, 200 and 400metre events while Damayanthi won three gold in Discus and javelin throw events establishing a meet record each.
Dilan Hewa Muhandiramge from the Western Province Special Education Sports Club was adjudged the Junior Men’s Best Athlete for his achievement in winning two gold in the 100m and Shot Putt events and Bagya Lakmali also a member of the WPSE SC winning three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and long jump events won the Junior Best Women Athlete’s award.
Men’s Overall Championship was won by Light Infantry SC for winning a total of 58 medals which included 14 gold, 25 silver and 19 bronze medals.
Rehab Lanka SC with 21 medals comprising 18gold and 3silver clinched the Women’s Overall Championship. In the junior Men’s and Women’s segments Overall championship was won by Western Province Special Education Sports Club.
In this Dialog sponsored meet over 650 Para Athletes competed for supremacy.
