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| Saturday, 25 October 2003 |
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Sugath first off the blocks by Dinesh Weerawansa Former Asian Games gold medallist Sugath Tillakaratne will be the first Sri Lankan to be seen in action at the inaugural Afro Asian Games, which began in India's Andra Pradesh capital of Hyderabad yesterday. Incidentally, it was the captain of the Sri Lanka team who competes first out of his team members. Sri Lanka team leaves for India today. It was hockey and soccer competition matches that were worked off yesterday while the show piece - athletics, would only commence on Tuesday. Sprinter Tillakaratne, gold medallist at 1998 Bangkok Asian Games and 1999 Fukuoka Asian Championships, will be the first out of the 11-member Sri Lanka team to be seen in action. He is due to compete in men's 400m event scheduled for 4.15pm local time on Tuesday. Asian Championship triple gold medallist Rohan Pradeep Kumara Fernando would have competed in this event for Asian from Sri Lanka but he opted to keep away, requesting a break after a strenuous 2003 season which included Asian Grand Prix Series, World Championships and Asian Championships. Though Tillakaratne is the only Sri Lankan to be seen in action, five Lankans will take the field on day two of the Afro Asian Games athletic competition at GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Gachibowli on Wednesday (29). Early in the morning on day two at 6.30 a.m, O.Nandani will compete in women's 20km walk - an event which is set to be dominated by endurance specialists Africa. Then at 3 p.m. Sri Lanka's Shantha Mendis will take part in men's 3,000m steeple chase, an event traditionally dominated by Kenyans. Nearly half an hour later at 3.25 p.m, Asian Championship silver medallist Sujeewa Nilmini Jayasena will start her women's 10,000m final. The last two Lankans to be seen in action next Wednesday are the two middle distance runners Nishantha Wijekoon and Sunil Jayaweera who made an eleventh hour entry to men's 1,500m line-up. The third and final day of the Afro-Asian Games athletic schedule will be next Thursday (30) in which Asian Championship bronze medallist Anne Maheshi Silva will take part in women's javelin throw at 9 a.m. Jayasena will also take part in women's 5,000m final at 3.10 p.m. the same evening. The last Lankans on show will be Dimuth Perera, Namal Bandara, Manoj Pushpakumara and Bandula Pushpakumara for its men's 4 x 400m relay team at 4.35 p.m. All times are in Indian standard times. Sri Lanka's national athletic coach Lakshman de Alwis said the idea for a dual meet between Asian and African continents was mooted some 40 years back after their athletes had to win medals at Olympic level. "It was started in 1964 as GaNEFo Games (Games of the Newly Emerging Forces). But with the rest of the IOC members saw it as a threat to the Olympic Games and the GaNEFo Games were banned thereafter," he said talking on the very origin of the Afro Asian Games. Almost 40 years after the first effort, Indian athletic stalwart Suresh Kalmadi has played a prominent role in reviving the old idea and hosting the inaugural Afro Asian Games which shows the sporting powers and unity of Asian and African continent, which has nearly 100 member countries of the Olympic movement. Meanwhile, Asians dominated in Afro Asian Games men's and women's hockey championship matches worked off at Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad yesterday. In the men's tournament, Pakistan edged out Nigeria in a four goals to three thriller while their arch rivals and hosts India had the better of Egypt 5-1. The third Asian team to win was South Korea which beat Ghana 3-0. However, Malaysia were held to a one-all draw by fighting South Korea. All three matches of the women's hockey tournament were one-sided affairs - South Korea beat Kenya 5-0, India beat Ghana 8-0 and South Africa beat Kazakhstan 12-0. In the much looked forward to soccer competition, Zimbabwe and Uzbekistan emerged victorious in their respective matches. Zimbabwe had a comfortable 4-1 win over Burkina Faso while Uzbekistan were made the sweat before earning a hard-fought one-nil win over Iran. |
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