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| Monday, 21 June 2004 |
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Lankan athletes leave for first leg by Dinesh Weerawansa Sri Lanka's elite athletes will leave for Thailand today to take part in the first leg of the 2004 Asian Grand Prix Series. This will be the third successive year that the Asian Grand Prix is conducted by the Asian Athletic Association. The Asian Grand Prix Series will be a key hurdle for top Asian athletes, who are yet to qualify for the forthcoming Olympic Games in Athens. Sri Lanka's Susanthika Jayasinghe too needs to run her women's 200m under 23.10 seconds in any of the three Asian Grand Prix meets in Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, if she is to qualify for her pet event at the Athens Olympics. However, the Sydney Olympic medallist has already qualified to run in women's 100m in Greece. It will be interesting to see how Jani Chathurangani Silva, who recently emerged the fastest woman in South Asia, fare in the Asian Grand Prix Series. The 9th South Asian Games women's 100m gold medallist would run in both 100m and 200m in all three Grand Prix meets. Sprinter Damayanthi Darsha, who won back to back Asian Games gold medals in the women's 400m, is unlikely to face much challenge in her favorite event. Sri Lanka could also keep their chances alive in the men's 4 x 400m, in which they would also look forward to in Athens. Middle distance runner Chaminda Wijekoon too has found a place in the elite set of athletes to Thailand to compete in the men's 1,500m. A total of over 160 foreign athletes are due to arrive in Thailand to compete in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix Series. After Wednesday's meet, they will fly to Sri Lanka to compete in the second leg of the Asian Grand Prix Series at Sugathadasa Stadium on Sunday (27). The third and final leg scheduled for Manila on July 1. National carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines has provided travel assistance to the Sri Lanka team, who will be be sponsored by LG Abans. Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) is the electronic media sponsor with the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL) as print media sponsor for the Colombo Grand Prix. Sri Lanka team: Susanthika Jayasinghe (women's 200m), Damayanthi Darsha (women's 400m), Jani Chathurangani Silva (women's100m & 200m), Rohan Pradeep Kumara (men's 400m & 4 x 400m), Sugath Tillakaratne (men's 400m & 4 x 400m), Ranga Wimalawansa (men's 4 x 400m), Prasanna Amarasekera (men's 4 x 400m), Rohitha Pushpakumara (men;s 4 x 400m), Chaminda Wijekoon (men's 1,500m). |
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