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| Monday, 26 July 2004 |
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82nd National Athletic championships: Chaminda, Kusumawathi set two new records on final day by Dinesh Weerawansa Middle distance runner Chaminda Wijekoon and hurdler S.V.A. Kusumawathi accounted for two new records on the third and final day of the 82nd Sri Lanka National Athletic championships concluded at Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo yesterday. Representing Sri Lanka Army, Kusumawathi clocked one minute and 1.24 seconds to establish a new national record in women's 400m hurdles event. M.A.W.A. Shyamalee of Sri Lanka Air Force came second in 1:02.88. Her team mate and Sri Lanka record holder, Wijekoon set a new meet record in men's 1,500m final. He returned a timing of three minutes and 45.74 seconds to finish first, ahead of fellow soldiers J.M.S. Jayaweera (3:45.99) and P.H. Chamal (3:48.31) who secured second and third places respectively. G.G. Nandani (Unattached) narrowly missed a place in the team for next month's Olympic Games when she fell two minutes and 57 seconds short of the Athens Games 'B' qualification mark of 1:38.00 in the women's 20km walk. She returned a timing of 1:40.57. Champion high jumper, Manjula Kumara Wijesekera, who cleared 2.273m to book a place in Sri Lanka team for the Athens Olympics, was adjudged best male athlete while the title for the best female athlete went to Menaka Wickremasinghe of Sri Lanka Army. Wijesekera was awarded the Wiltom Bartleet Challenge Cup while Wickremasinghe carried away the Colombo Canteen Committee challenge Cup. R.D.U.S. Surendra of Sri Lanka Navy and Jani Chathurangani Silva of Sri Lanka Air Force emerged the fastest man and woman at the Nationals. Surendra clocked 10.75 seconds to win men's 100m dash, followed by D.M.P.P. Caldera (SL Universities - 10.81) and A.R.M.C. Ramanayake (SL Army - 10.88). South Asian Games gold medallist Silva, running in the absence of Susanthika Jayasinghe, clocked 11.92 seconds to win women's 100m final while Sujani Buddhika of Air Force (11.96) came second. Coming in third place is former Asian championship gold medallist Pradeepa Herath, who returned from, Italy only a week ago. Former Asian Games gold medallist Sugath Tillakaratne ran an all out 46.12 seconds to win men's 400m final. But that was no where his brilliant career best. Coming second was his World championship 400m relay team mate Ranga Wimalawansa (SL navy - 46.64), followed by Rohitha Pushpakumara (SL Army - 46.96). The women's 400m went on a low rhythm in the absence of national record holder and Asian Games triple gold medallist, Damayanthi Darsha. Menaka Wickremasinghe clocked 54.14 seconds to finish first while her Army team mate D.H.M. Priyadharshani came second in an unimpressive 56.22. Veteran T.F. Alailima of Lanka Lions underlined his dominance in local men's shot putt event. He cleared 15.56m to win convincingly. N.C.D. Priyadharshani of Sri Lanka Navy won women's long jump with 6.10m. Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Sripathi Sooriyarachch was the chief guest and gave away the awards. The meet was organised by the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka under the direction of its President, Sunil Jayaweera. Full results will appear tomorrow. |
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