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By Dinesh Weerawansa

Sri Lanka will send 25 of their top athletes on a two and a half-month training mission to either Malaysia or Thailand. The Athletic Association of Sri Lanka has been forced to do their due to the unexpected long delay in relaying the country's only artificial track at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

The Secretary of the Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka, Rohan Amarasinghe, when contacted, said that the most prospective Sri Lanka athletes for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Manchester and Asian Track & Field championships in Colombo will be picked and sent for overseas training as they do not have an artificial track to train.

"We will be picking about 25 athletes, a few coaches and a manager and they will train either in Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok from end next month. They will be there until early July and then fly to England for the Commonwealth Games," he said. Amarasinghe added that the Sri Lanka AA in touch with their counterparts in Thailand and Malaysia, who have come forward to assist the Lankans with special rates.

Sri Lanka is way behind schedule on relaying the Sugathadasa Stadium artificial running track for the up coming Asian Track & Field meet in Colombo. A high level meeting between the Cabinet Tender Board and Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Johnston Fernando took place yesterday but the final outcome is yet to be announced officially.

However, Minister Johnston Fernando said the venue would be ready on schedule. He was optimistic of completing the infrastructure development on schedule. The Sri Lanka AA President, Sunil Jayaweera, earlier said they plan to have one of the most successful championship in Asian TF meet history.

The four Lankan athletes who will have the honour of competing at the inaugural Asian Grand Prix will travel to Hyderabad, Manila and Bangkok from where the Lankan athletes train from later next month.

Asian Games gold medallist Sugath Tillakaratne (men's 400m), Asian Championships double gold medallist Rohan Pradeep Kumara (men's 400m), Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sriyani Kulawansa (women's 100m hurdles) and Asian Games double gold medallist Damayanthi Darsha (women's 400m) are having intensive training, along with Olympic medallist, Susanthika Jayasinghe.

Meanwhile, two Sri Lankas are in line of becoming IAAF Level One lecturers. R.A.Siripala (Education) and R.G.N.Chandrasekera (NCP) have been picked to sit the IAAF written test in May. If they succeed, they will join Sri Lanka's one and only IAAF Level one lecturer, P.H.D.Waidyatillake, the AA sources said yesterday. 

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