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| Wednesday, 31 March 2004 |
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SAF Games : Lanka win three medals on opening day (Bernard Perera reporting from Pakistan) Islamabad, Tuesday, Sri Lanka's Arun Karunaratne won the first medal a Silver for his country at the 9th SAF Games when he was placed second in the 200M Back stroke on the opening day of competition here in Bangladesh. Karunaratne clocked a time of 2.21.99 secs for the event. The gold medal was won by India's Akbar Ali Mir with a time of 2.14.26. The third place went to Imdad Ali of Pakistan who finished in a time of 2.22.11 secs. Dharshaka Hasanka Tennekoon who also competed in this race clocked 2.22.65 but had to be content with the 6th place. Karateka R.J Edward won the second medal when he took the bronze for the 60 kg weight category. Team Kata Karatekas from Sri Lanka won a silver medal, the third for the day. Edward who fought well was deprived of getting more than a bronze medal apparently because a member of the jury was the coach of the Pakistani team. Sri Lanka has voiced their protest over this appointment. Raghvan Madawala who competed in the 200M Breast stroke was disqualified from the event. Sampath Weerakkody and D. Hasanka Tennekoon who participated in the 200m Individual Medley was placed 5th and 6th respectively in the race. Eranga Dinesh Fernando who clocked 4.38.79 for the 400M Free Style race was placed fourth behind swimmers from India and Pakistan. The Indian swimmer Mandar Divase's time was 4.14.11 secs. Meanwhile Sri Lankan women shuttlers did well to reach the final of the team event when they overcame Pakistani counterparts 3-2 yesterday at the Rodham Indoor stadium in Islamabad. Today they are scheduled to meet India at the same venue late in the evening. The Men's shuttlers were engaged in a tense battle at the time of going to press. In the morning at the Shooting Range Sri Lankan shooters failed to live upto expectations when they were outclassed by shooters from other participating countries. Upul Dharmasiri who had an aggregate of 581 out of 600 was placed 7th, while Mangala Samarakoon who managed to collect 565 took 14th place. Manager of the Lankan shooters Major Udaya Weerakkody said that Sri Lanka was far ahead of the Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal shooters way back in 1991. "At present their standard had dropped drastically, he said. They trained under a foreign coach for only 10 days which is not enough," he said. "That was why they failed to achieve their best." |
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