Tearful Anitha vows to comeback
View(s):National School Games Athletic Meet
By Susil Premalal in Kandy
Ushan Perera of Maris Stella Negombo won the Boys Under-19 high jump event
Sri Lanka’s pole vault sensation Anitha Jegathesewaran failed to maintain her reputation as she painted a poor picture at the All-Island National School Games Athletic Championships which continued at the Bogambara Stadium in Kandy yesterday.
The 19-year-old athlete from Mahajana College Jaffana came into the limelight by creating a new Sri Lanka record in the Women’s pole vault event at the recent National Sports Festival worked off at the Duraiappah Stadium in Jaffna. However, this time she was completely off colour and managed to clear only 3.30 metres in the Girls Under-21 event in contrast to her record breaking performance of 3.41 metres at the National Sports Festival.
Even then, she had the satisfaction of winning the Gold Medal and also established a new meet record while erasing the previous best of 3.17 metres held by A. Pavithra of Arunodaya College Jaffna in 2014. Earlier, Anitha warmed-up for this event by securing the third place in the Girls Under-20 hurdles final. But she was completely disappointed of her failure in her pet event and later vowed to bounce back with an improved performance in her next outing.
“I am really sad and disappointed with this effort but I will definitely comeback strongly and prove my true potential in the coming week’s” emphasized a tearful Anitha who has also qualified to enter the Sabaragamuwa University in Physical Science.
Anitha of course began her campaign for the pole vault title under pressure and was not one hundred per cent fit as she was suffering from a slight fever. However, now there is a strong feeling as to whether her performance at the National Sports Festival in Jaffna was just a fluke and also whether the wind-gate did help her to go beyond the Sri Lankan record on that occasion.
Meanwhile, Coach Sinniah Subashkaran said that Anitha was recovering from a serious bout of fever and was unable to produce her best in the pole vault final. He also said that Anitha’s participation in the Girls Under-20 hurdles event was only considered as a warm-up for her pet event and not with the intention of winning a medal. Anitha was later scheduled to compete in the Girls Under-20 javelin throw final.
The second meet record of the day was set up by Anurudha Srimal of Berrewaerts College Kandy who produced a time of 13.6 seconds in the Under-15 Boys 100 metres final. He bettered the previous record of 13.73 seconds held by Sudara Weerakoon of Wickremashila MV Giriulla in 2004.
This five-day meet has already come into severe criticism from various categories for poor organizing and the latest setback was the non availability of even the basic facilities for media personnel.
| Results Boys Triple Jump Under-17: 1. Chamod Pushpa (Rahula College Matara) 13.76m, 2. Kavindu Udayantha (St. Joseph’s College Matara) 13.75m, 3. Shehan Dhananjaya(Maris Stella College-Negombo) 13.73m Discus Throw Under-21: 1. AP Jayawardene (Ananda NS Chilaw) 40.35m, 2. RA Ruwantha Fernando (Loyola College Negombo ) 38.86m , 3. Yuran Muthukumarana (Bandaranayake College Gampaha) 38.86m Javelin Throw Under-15: 1. TK Fernando (St.Mary’s College Chilaw) 48.79m, 2. IL Jayarathne (Sri Nishashanka National School Edulagodakanda) 47.52m, 3. Dasindu Dilshan (CWW KAnnagara CC Hunumulla 46.26m High Jump Under-19 : 1. Ushan Thiwanka (Maris Stella College Negombo) 2.10m ,2. KV Rathnayake (Duddley Senanayake CC Tholangamuwa) 1.95m,3. SAjana Senarathne (Lyceum Wattala) 1.95m 100m hurdle Under-15: 1. Anuradha Srimal (Berrewaerts College Kandy) 13.6 sec (NMR) 2. Prabhath Kumara(Kularathna CC) 14.3 sec, 3. Harindu Kaushantha (Janadipathi MV Kadawatha ) 14.4 sec 110m hurdle Under-17: 1. Dananjaya Rathnayake (St.Benedict’s College Kotahena) 14.5 sec, 2. Dilusha Kariyawasam (Asoka College Colombo) 14.6 sec, 3. Ransika Perera(Lyceum Panadura) 15.0 sec 110m hurdle Under-19: 1. Roshan Dammika (Kularathna CC Godakawela) 14.6sec, 2. Shanaka Perera (Lyceum Wattala) 15.1 sec, 3. RN Kumarage (Trinity College) 15.4 sec 100m hurdle Under-21 : 1. Akila Ravishanka (Sivali CC Rathnapura) 15.5 sec, 2. Ronosan Lembert 15.9 sec, 3. Udesh Oshantha (Rajapaksha CC Weeraketiya) 16.1 sec 1500m Under-17: 1. Sasindu Sankalpa (Makandura CC) 4:12.2 sec, 2. HS Karunarathne (A.Rathnayake CC Walala) 4:17.0 sec, 3. D.Dilukshan (Norwood Tamil College) 4:20.0 sec 1500m Under-19: 1. MV Sankapala Bandara (St.Mary’s College Chilaw) 4:07.3 sec, 2. RI Bulugahapitiya (Dharmaraja College Kandy) 4:07.8 sec, 3. ML Sampath (Herath MV Walapane) 4:08.3 sec 1500m Under-21: 1. LL Gunarathna (Berrewaerts College) 4:03.2 sec, 2. BM Samaraweera (A.Rathnayake CC Walala ) 4:04.4 sec, 3. RM Nifras 4:06.9 sec Girls Shot Put Under-19: 1. GC Rasangi (Mahamathya MV Bibile) 10.26m , 2. PH Sewwandi (Dharmpala MV Eheliyagoda) 9.65m ,3. KB Thennakoon (A.Ranpathwila MV Kahatagasdigiliya 9.56m Pole Vault Under-21 : 1. J.Anitha (Mahajana CC Jaffna) 3.30m (NMR), 2. J.Sukirtha(Pallai CC Jaffna) 3.20m , 3. Harshani Dharmarathne(A.Rathnayake CC Walala) 3.10m 100m hurdle Under-15: 1. Bhagya Nilmini (Viharagala MV) 16.2 sec, 2. Senuri Anuththara(Darmapala College Pannipitiya) 16.4 sec, 3. Nelindi Nimethma (Anula Vidyalaya) 16.8 sec 100m hurdle Under-17: 1. MD Kumarasinghe (Sumana BV Rathnapura) 16.1 sec, 2. AD Kaushalya (St. Andrews GC NAwalapitiya) 16.2 sec, 3. TN Samarasinghe(Rumana BV Rathnapura) 17.0 sec 100m hurdle Under-19: 1. II Aberathna (St.Joseph’s BV Kegalle) 15.7 sec, 2. PR Gunathilaka (Sumana BV Rathnapura) 15.8 sec, 3. TT Thanthirimalage (Maliyadeva BV Kurunegala) 16.2 sec 100m hurdle Under-21: 1. Kalani Gayathri (Weeraketiya Rajapaksha CC) 15.3 sec, 2. Shanika Dulakshi(Mary Immaculate Convent) 15.8 sec, 3. J Anitha (Mahajana College Jaffna) 16.4 sec 1500m Under-17: 1. PK de Soysa(A. Rathnayake CC Walala) 4:54.4 sec, 2. CS Herath (A.Rathnayake CC) 4:54.5 sec, 3. Jayanthi Kanagarathna (A.Rathnayake CC Walala) 4:55.8 sec 1500m Under-19: 1. NK Basnayake (A. Rathnayake CC Walala) 4:57.5 sec, 2. NL Wijethunga (Kegalle BV) 4:57.6 sec,3. Kalpani Prasanthika (Palatuwa Gunarathne College) 4:58.4 sec 1500m Under-21: 1. Pramoda Abeysinghe (A.Rathnayake CC Walala) 4:52.8 sec, 2. RI bopitiya (Sumana BV Rathnapura) 5:00.2 sec, 3. MA Kumari (A. Rathnayake CC Wala) 5.00.5 sec |