Nadeesha dazzles, bags first medal
Nadeesha Lekamge
It was at the backdrop of some uncertainty that she took the field to participate in her pet event against some of the top contenders in the Asian region.
But instead, it turned out to be a memorable day for Nadeesha Dilhani Lekamge who put up a tremendous performance to win Sri Lanka’s first medal on the opening day of the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India.
On Thursday, July 6, she turned a new leaf in the history of Sri Lankan athletics by securing the Silver Medal in the Women’s javelin throw with a personal best performance of 58.11 metres.
The former schoolgirl of Mahinda College Ehiliyagoda and the talented sportswoman attached to Sri Lanka Army secured the silver medal in her fifth effort while pushing her Indian rival into third place with China winning the gold medal.
Nadeesha started off her event with an encouraging effort of 52.92m and then improved on that performance by clearing a distance of 53.03m during her second effort.
In the third effort she cleared a good 56.86m and performed even better in the fourth effort with a performance of 55.68m.
Her fifth effort turned out to be the most decisive part in this event as Nadeesha managed to produce the best performance in her career while clearing a splendid 58.11m which sealed the silver medal for
Sri Lanka.
Nadeesha then completed this historic event by throwing a distance 56.14m in the sixth and final effort as she also improved her International Rankings to 73 having started the event at 76.
“I was little under pressure before the start of the event but I grew in confidence as the event progressed” said a determined Nadeesha shortly after her heroics in India.
“I did not care about the reputation of my rivals and I went on performing in my own style which was the key for my success” emphasized Nadeesha.
Nadeesha also stressed the fact that arriving in India 10 days before the start of the meet had a huge impact on the performance and commended the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka (AASL) for providing the opportunity to train at the Stadium well ahead of the meet.
Meanwhile, Nadeesha’s Coach A. J. Rodrigo said that initially she started training with a distance of 50.00m but made vast strides under his guidance to reach international standards.
Veteran Coach Rodrigo who has won three medals for Sri Lanka also stated that Nadeesha was well prepared for this event both physically and mentally and had a lot of confidence that she would perform well.