Wijesekera and Rathnakumari emerge Best Athletes
Airman Ishara Sadaruwan leaps over - Pic by Ranjith Perera
Olympic athlete Manjula Kumara Wijesekera and E. W. U. Rathnakumari won the Men’s and Women’s Best Athlete Award respectively at the 95th National Athletics Championships which concluded at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Complex in Diyagama yesterday.
Wijesekera, representing Sri Lanka Air Force clinched the men’s high jump title while producing a fine performance of 2.21 metres.
He also had the satisfaction of winning two other special awards, the Best Jumper as well as the Best High Jumper at this meet.
Meanwhile, Rathnakumari of Sri Lanka Army took the Best Athlete Award in the women’s category for her effort in the 400m event where she returned a time of 53.63s.
However, this year’s Nationals produced only three Sri Lanka records as most of the elite athletes decided to skip the event after the Sri Lanka Anti Doping Agency (SLADA) decided to conduct random doping tests during the meet.
Aniththa Jegatheeswaran (Women’s pole vault) of the Jaffna District Athletic Association, Ajith Karunathilake (Men’s decathlon) from Sri Lanka Army and Lakshika Sugandi (Women’s heptathlon) of Sri Lanka Army were able to establish new Sri Lanka records.
In addition, eight new meet records were shattered while one meet record was equalled.
Special awards
- Best Athlete (hurdles events): A. L. A. L. Rathnasena (Air Force) 400m hurdles 51.05s
- Best Athlete (throwing events): D. S. Ranasinghe (Army) javelin throw 76.92m
- Best Jumper: Manjula Kumara (Air Force) 2.21m
- Best Sprinter (Men’s): Dilip Ruwan (Army) 400m 46.66s
- Best High Jumper: Manjula Kumara (Air Force) 2.21m
- Best Sprinter (Women’s): E. W. U. Rathmakumari (Army) 400m 53.63s
- Best Athlete Middle Distance (Women’s): G. T. A. Abeyrathna (Navy) 800m 2:05.69s
- Best Athlete Long Distance (Women’s): U. K. N. Rathnayaka (Army) 3,000m steeplechase 10:25.25s
- Best Performance Women’s (hurdles): E. K. Madushani (Army) 400m hurdles 1:00.89s
- Best Performance Jumps (Women’s): H. D. Vidusha Lakshani (Army) 13.43m NMR
- Best Performance Throwing (Women’s): W. K. T. Fernando (Air Force) shot put 14.52m
- Best Men’s Athlete Middle and Long Distance: H. D. M. I. G. Idunil Madushan Herath (Army) 800m 1:48.83s
- Best Athlete (Women’s): E. W. U. Rathmakumari (Army) 400m 53.63s
- Best Athlete (Men’s): Manjula Kumara (Air Force) 2.21m
- Best Athlete (Men’s and Women’s): Manjula Kumara (Air Force) 2.21m