Junior Athletic Nationals produce 36 new meet records; 11 qualify for World Championship
View(s):Under challenging weather conditions, where over 2000 young school athletes competed over four days, the organisers of the annual event, Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) stated that the performances by the competitors were overwhelmingly impressive.
Front row (from left): Tharusha Mendis (U-18 Boys Best Athlete), T. Thribasinth (U-16 Boys Best Athlete), Meron Wijesinghe (U-20 Boys Best Athlete and Best Performer of the Meet), Tharushi Abhisheka (U-18 Girls Best Athlete) and Dilni Rajapaksha (U-16 Girls Best Athlete) Back row (from left): Officials of Sri Lanka Athletics -- Jagath Gnanasiri Silva (Vice President), G.L.S. Perera (Vice President), Major General Palitha Fernando (President), Saman Kumara Gunawardana (Secretary General) and Chandana Ekanayake (Vice President)
Meron Wijesinghe
Meron Wijesinghe of Ananda College won the D. Stanley Thabrew Memorial Challenge Trophy presented to the Best Athlete in Boys Under-20 Category for his performance of 10.38secs in the Men’s 100m final. Meron went on to claim the Major General Palitha Fernando Challenge Trophy on offer for the Best Performer of the Meet for the same performance.
Madhushani Herath of Nannaparuwa MV, Bibile claimed the Deshabandu Lt. Col. W. Wimaladasa Challenge Trophy presented to the Best Athlete in Girls Under-20 for her record breaking performance of 6.32m in the Women’s Long Jump event.
The Best Athlete award in Boys Under-23 was won by Nadun Kaveesha Bandara of Sri Lak Athletics Club, who clocked 14.15secs in the 110m Hurdles, in his record equaling performance. Sayuri Mendis of Sri Lanka Navy, who set a new meet record in the 400m in the final with a performance of 54.20secs, was named the Best Athlete in Girls Under-23 category.
Tharusha Mendis of Lyceum International School, Wattala, who cleared 2.14m in the Boys Under-18 High Jump event, with a new meet record, won the N. Vyrawanathan Challenge Trophy for his performance. Tharushi Abhisheka of Wickramabahu National School, Gampola, who set two new meet records, claimed the Damayanthi Dharsha Challenge Trophy awarded for the Best Athlete in Girls Under-18 category.
S. Thribhashith of St. Thomas’ Prep School, Colombo, established a new meet record in the Boy’s Under-16 High Jump event, and this performance enabled him to claim the N.A.Q.N.A. Kurera Challenge Trophy presented to the Best Athlete in Boys Under-16 category. Dilni Rajapaksha of Lyceum International School, Wattala, who set a new meet record by clearing 5.80m in the Under-16 Girls Long Jump, was awarded with the Susanthika Jayasinghe Challenge Trophy presented to the Best Athlete in Girls Under-16 category.
Athletes who qualified for the World Junior Athletic Championship in Peru were Meron Wijesinghe (Men’s 100m), Deneth Weeraratne (Men’s 100m), Induwara Vidushan (Men’s 200m), Kaushan Thamel (Men’s 200m), Jathya Kirulu (Men’s 400m), Sandun Koshala (Men’s 110m Hurdles), Ayomal Akalanka (Men’s 400m Hurdles), Lesandu Arthavidu (Men’s High Jump), Tharusha Mendis (Men’s High Jump), Madushani Herath (Women’s Long Jump and Triple Jump) and Jithma Wijethunga (Women’s 400m).
Among the notables who created new records were Tharushi Abhisheka of Wickramabahu Central, Gampola, and Tharani Nirmani of Holy Cross College, Gampaha, who renewed the existing records of two events each.
Madushani Herath
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