National athletes to have an Edge

A series of 10 National level Track and Field competitions hosted by “Edge”, are to be held from the month of June to September 2007, and will be open to all age groups. The Edge Grand Prix, which is also the brain child of Talavou Alailima, the Sri Lanka Shot Putt and Discus record holder, is to be conducted in association with ANTFA (The Association of National Track and Field Athletes) and with the blessing of the Ministry of Sports and the Sri Lanka Athletic Association.

A total of 36 Events for both men and women will be held at each competition, with the structure of the event being as follows:
Competitions 1&2: two or three day meets will be held for all applicants based on performance. The best 48 athletes will qualify to compete at the next level. The estimated number of competitors for both of the Edge Grand Prix competitions will be around 10,000.

Competitions 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7: Out of the 48 competitors for each event, the top 24 will qualify for the 8th round. Selection will be based on the average performance of 5 meets, out so the total of 7 thus far. The estimated number of competitors would be around 1,750.

Competition 8: At this competition the top 16 athletes in each event will qualify to participate in the 9th leg. They estimated that 850 competitors would qualify.

Competition 9: Only the top 8 competitors from this competition will qualify for the final grand finale. The estimated number of competitors should be around 600 athletes.Edge Grand Prix Competition: All competitors that qualify to participate in the 10th Edge Grand Prix will be rewarded with cash awards depending on their performance. The estimated number of competitors for this final meet will be 300.

Cash prizes :
• A minimum of Rs. 3 Million in cash awards will be presented to the competitors of the 10th Edge Grand Prix.
• Those who break a Sri Lanka record during the 10 competitions will receive a minimum cash prize of Rs. 100,000 each.
• 30% of all cash awards allocated for winners will be shared with the coaches who helped them identify their talent, and nurtured their performance through the years.Some of the members of the Edge Grand Prix 2007 organizing committees are as follows:

Talavou Alailima – Shot Putt and Discus National Record Holder, Lakshman De Alwis – National Coach, Damayanthi Dharsha – 200m Asian Record Holder, Rohan Pradeep Kumara – 400m Asian Champion, Sriyani Kulawansa – 100m Hurdles National Record Holder, Ruwan Pradeep – Pole Volt National Record Holders, Pradeep Nishantha – Javelin Throw National Record Holders.