AASL targets six medals at Asian Meet
Nimali Liyanarachchi is one of the track athletes Sri Lanka is banking on
Sri Lanka will be targeting at least six medals at the 23rd Asian Senior Athletics Championships which will be worked off from April 21 to 24 in Doha, Qatar.
President of the Athletics Association of Sri Lanka (AASL) Major General Palitha Fernando believes Sri Lankan athletes have the potential to win medals and hoped that they would also reach the qualifying standard to compete at the IAAF World Championships which will be held from September 27 to October 8 at the same venue.
Even though Sri Lanka has won medals regularly at the Asian Championships, they last won a Asian Games medal way back in 2006 when Susanthika Jayasinghe won 100m silver and 200m bronze at Doha Games in Qatar. Sri Lanka will have a tough time at this meet as several top Asian athletes who train and reside in Europe and Africa have also qualified to represent their native country.
Sri Lanka’s main medal hopes will in the Men’s 100m, Women’s 200m, long jump, Women’s 800m and triple jump (Men and Women).
AASL President also said that most of the top athletes were unable to reach their peak form due to various injuries.
He also believed the shortage of qualified coaches and the lack of overseas exposure have also led to their downfall in the recent past.
Meanwhile, a total of nine athletes (six men and three women) qualified to represent the country at next month’s 23rd Asian Senior Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar after coming out victorious in their respective events at the final selection trial held at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday.
In addition, five other athletes also reached the selection standard margin at this trial which was conducted by the Athletics Association of Sri Lanka (AASL).
A notable feature at the trial was the none selection of a relay team for the first time for this meet. The Asian Athletics Championships will be worked off from April 21 to 24.
The athletes who qualified directly were: Himasha Eshan (100m), Vinod Suranjaya de Silva (100m), Dhanushka Piyaratne (long jump), Janaka Wimalasiri (long jump), Gratian Dhananjaya (triple jump), Sumeda Ranasinghe (javelin), Nilani Ratnayake (3,000m steeple chase), Nimali Liyanarachchi (800m) and Gayanthika Abeyratne (800m).
Those athletes who reached the selection standard margin were: Rusiru Chathuranga (800m), Hemantha Kumara (1,500m), Ajith Pushpakumara (400m), R. Nadeesha (400m) and Vidusha Lakshani (triple jump).
Sri Lanka has been granted permission to field a total of 14 athletes and three officials for this event by the Asian Athletics Association (AAA).
Himasha Eshan's form has been in supreme shape lately