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| Saturday, 12 April 2003 |
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Two surprises in provisional athletic squad for Manila by Dinesh Weerawansa Olympic medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe is strongly tipped to lead the Sri Lanka team for the forthcoming Asian Athletic Championships in Philippines later this year. Jayasinghe, who was to skip the postponed SAF Games, has been included in the 38-member provisional Sri Lanka squad for the forthcoming meet to be worked off in Manila from September 20 to 24. The 38-member pool, named yesterday by the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka, comprises 24 men and 14 women. The final team for the Asian Championship would be the same, except for the couple of places which could be included or excluded depending on the performances of the athletes. However, any athlete outside the squad who gains qualifying standards within the next few months stands a chance of making an eleventh hour entry to Sri Lanka athletic team. Sydney Olympics women's 200m bronze medallist Jayasinghe has been nursing a hamstring injury which originally forced her to withdraw from the 200m event at last year's Asian Games in Busan, South Korea. But Jayasinghe has shown a significant improvement and would run at the August's IAAF World Championships in Paris, France, prior to the Asian Championships. Busan Asian Games women's 400m gold medallist, Damayanthi Darsha too will run in Paris along with Jayasinghe. The 38-member Sri Laka squad will have two surprises. Veteran woman athlete and Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Sriyani Kulawansa has been recalled to the team after being axed for the 2003 Islamabad SAF Games, which has now been cancelled after being put off thrice. Kulawansa was omitted from the SAF Games team as she failed to honour the trials due to a valid reason but the selectors have included her in the squad to Manila. The other notable inclusion in the Lankan team is teenage high jumper Lahiruni Peries. Coached by former ace Sri Lanka athlete Dileema Peterson, 17-year-old schoolgirl Peiris almost bettered the Sri Lanka record of 1.75m. Her impressive clearance of 1.72m at the recent trial meet has earned a place in the national squad. Also in the squad is schoolboy high jumper Manjula Kumara Wijesekera who established a new Sri Lanka record of 2.18m at last year's IAAF Junior World Championships in Jamaica. Sri Lanka will mainly concentrate in track events at the Asian Championships in Manila, where all 44 Asian member countries are to vie for honours. The main entries from Sri Lanka would be in 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m events in both men and women's events as well as the 100m and 400m relays. Sri Lanka will also compete in men's 400m steeple chase and high jumps. |
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