Army’s Dunukara and Madirika win race walking titles
Men's category winners with their medals and trophies
Sri Lanka Army athletes Sandaruwan Dunukara and Kalhari Madirika won the men’s and women’s race walking titles respectively at the 46th National Sports Festival at Kataragama yesterday.
Dunukara representing North Central Province won the race walking gold medal at the National Sports Festival for the fifth consecutive time.
The 29-year-old who won the event in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 clocked a winning time of one hour 38.17 minutes.
Madirika representing Western Province won the women’s race clocking 1: 51.19.
She made a comeback after having been laid low by dengue for nearly six months.
Both winners said the route used for race walking in Kataragama was not easy.
“Normally the race walking competition is held on flat ground. However, since there were many hill climbs along the way, we could not go for Sri Lanka records,” said both Dunukara and Madirika.
The men’s Sri Lanka record is 1:30.10 while the women’s record is 1:39.17.
Dunukara recorded a personal best of 1:31.01 when he represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Race Walking Championship which earned him ninth place.
Winners of the Women's category with their awards
Madirika represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Race Walking Championship in 2018 finishing in 35th position. She won the silver medal at the National Sports Festival race walking event in 2013, 2015 and 2018.
Organised by the Sports Ministry, the winners of this year’s race walking are products of renowned coach Nishantha Nayananda who has produced 17 winners during the period 1993 to 2010.
Held under the patronage of Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa, in the men’s race R.M.D. Rukmale representing Uva Province (1:39.24) came second while Niroshan Appuhamy of Western Province (1:42.27) was placed third.
In the women’s race, L.M.M.C. Jayaratne of North Central Province (1:57.44) finished second while J.K.K.M.C. Damayanthi of Uva Province (1:58.40) came third.
The cycling event of the National Sports Festival for both men and women will be held tomorrow.
Earlier on Friday, Air Force’s Muthusamy Sivarajan represented Central Province won the men’s marathon while Navy’s Velu Krishanthini also of Central Province claimed the women’s title.
Sandaruwan Dunukara - Men's winner
Kalhari Madirika won the Women's category