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| Tuesday, 3 August 2004 |
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Countdown to Olympic Games with Dinesh Weerawansa Rohan Pradeep Kumara Fernando One of the best male sprinters ever produced by Sri Lanka. Twenty nine-year-old Rohan Pradeep Kumara Fernando is the best bet from Sri Lanka for the Athens Olympics, considering present form. Has been enjoying an outstanding 2004 season, winning all three meets of the Asian Grand Prix Series as well as a dream sprint double at the 2004 South Asian Games in Islamabad, Pakistan. During the current calendar year, Fernando has done men's 400m three times under the Athens Olympics 'B' qualification mark. Made his Sri Lanka debut in Kuala Lumpur in 1997 and ever since, blossomed as one of the most outstanding sprinters. In a couple of years, he ended the dominance of 1998 Asian Games gold medallist and compatriot Sugath Tillakaratne in men's 400m. The 1999/ 2000 season has been his best and really made a big impact in the local track and field arena. In no time, Fernando elevated himself to be an elite Sri Lanka athlete. He came in to the limelight in the regional arena when he bagged men's 400m and 4 x 400m gold medals at the 1999 South Asian Games in Nepal. An year later, Fernando reached the pinnacle of Asian 400m when he won the events at the Asian Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2000. Served in the Sri Lanka Navy for a brief period. Along with former Peterite and Navy Sports Club team-mate Ranga Wimalawansa, Fernando added more weight to Sri Lanka's men's 4 x 400m relay team which became the leading force in Asia. A proud product of Joseph Vaz, a school which has been a dominance force in Sri Lanka athletics, Fernando hails from Negombo. He has been greatly responsible for Sri Lanka's men's 400m relay team's achievements in recent past, giving his team a early lead in the first lap. Having won both the men's 200m and 400m titles at last April's South Asian Games in Islamabad, Pakistan, Fernando went on to emerge as the most outstanding Sri Lanka athlete in the 2004 Asian Grand Prix Series. He won all three legs of the men's 400m in the 2004 Asian Grand Prix Series worked off in Songkla, Colombo and Manila, a feat no other Sri Lankan could achieve. Coached by former Sri Lanka ace sprinter and 1974 Teheran Asia Games gold medallist, Sunil Gunawardena, Fernando also won a medal in his pet event at the last Asian Games in Busan, South Korea. At 17 years, he had been running 400m in 50.4 seconds and made a rapid progress to go under 47.4 seconds by 1997. Three years later, he registered his career best timing of 45.25 seconds at the Sri Lanka National Championships in Colombo, 2000. Fact file: Name: H.P. Rohan Pradeep Kumara Fernando Born: 10th March 1975 School Attended: Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa Club: Track Master Sports Club Civil status: Single Coach: Sunil Gunawardena Sport / Event: Athletics - men's 400m Career best record: men's 400m in 45.25 seconds - Sri Lanka Nationals, 2000 Sri Lanka debut: 1997 Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur. Career milestones: Olympic Games - Debut in Sydney, 2000 World Championships - Competed in Edmonton 2001 and Paris 2003. Asian Games - Debut in Bangkok, 1998 and bronze medal in men's 400m in Busan, 2002. Asian Championships - gold in men's 4 x 400m in Jakarta, 2000 and gold in men's 4 x 400m in Colombo, 2002. South Asian Games - gold in men's 400m and 4 x 400m in Kathmandu 1999, gold in men's 200m and 400m in Islamabad, 2004. Asian Grand Prix: third in 2003, first in all three meets in 2004 series. |
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