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| Tuesday, 28 September 2004 |
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Rohan Pradeep ranked No.1 at All Star Meet by Dinesh Weerawansa Sri Lanka's ace sprinter, Rohan Pradeep Kumara Fernando has been ranked No.1 for men's 400m at the inaugural Asian All Stars Athletic meeting to be worked off in Singapore today. The Asian Championship double gold medallist will make every effort to underline his regional supremacy in the men's 400m. Fernando won his pet event in this season's all three Asian Grand Prix meetings is bound to face stiff resistance against his opponents from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. As exclusively stated in these columns, Sri Lanka will field a five-member team for the meet which also include Prasanna Amarasekera (men's 400m), Menaka Wickremasinghe (women's 400m), Chaminda Wijekoon (men's 1,500m) and M. Priyadharshana (long jump). Fernando looked a confident man as Sri Lanka team left for Singapore over the weekend. "I hope to do my best. I could not do well in Athens. The things did not go well for me at the Olympics but I am determined to do well here," said Fernando before his departure. He added that his unbeaten run in the 2004 Asian Grand Prix Series is an inspiration when he comes under the starter's orders. Running in the same final with Fernando is compatriot Amarasekera, who narrowly missed a place in men's 200m for Athens Olympics by mere 0.05 seconds. As reported before, injuries have forced three of Sri Lanka's top athletes out of Asian All Stars meet. Sydney Olympic medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe, Asian Games triple gold medallist Damayanthi Darsha and former Asian Games men's 400m gold medallist Sugath Tillakaratne will not run in Singapore. Among the galaxy of Asian stars invited for the mega event is IAAF World Championship medallist and Indian long jumper Anju Bobby George. Fresh after winning the women's long jump event in the Seiko Super track and field meeting in Japan on Thursday, defeating German twice former Olympic champion Heike Drechsler., George is set to win her pet event in style. The meet will have the blessings of the IAAF with its President too making his presence in Singapore to encourage the Asian athletes as the cream of Asia's elite athletes are set to be seen in action. Encouraged by the success at the Asian Grand Prix Series which was inaugurated last year, the Asian track and field officials are organising the meet as the final event of the 2004 season. Presence of several top athletes from China and Japan would make the event a highly competitive one. A total of 98 top Asian performers from 16 countries will be seen in action. China which proved their super elevation in Athens last month in a lead up to 2008 Beijing Olympics, will certainly provide the biggest challenge to athletes in the Asian region here. Fresh after the 2004 Asian Grand Prix Series and Olympic Games in Athens, Asia's leading star athletes will be competing in the one day meet to be worked off at Singapore's National Stadium. Almost all champion athletes who won their respective events at the 2004 Asian Grand Prix Series worked off in Songkla (Thailand), Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Manila (Philippines) will vie for honours. Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and the Philippines have been the regular venues for the annual Asian Grand Prix series and hence, this is the first time that a big time Asian league meeting is coming to Singapore. The winners would pocket USD 2,000 each, USD 1,000 for a second place and USD 500 for a third place. All standard events are on the cards for the big event. There will be big cash awards on offer - $50,000 to anyone breaking the world record, $15,000 for finishing in the world top-10 and $ 2,500 for a new Asian record. The cash awards are the highest offered at an Asian regional level meet. Heptathlete Soma Biswas and high-jumper Hari Shankar Roy are among the other top Indian athletes invited for the meet. Indian Shankar, who set a new national record in the East Zone junior national championship a week ago, is determined to make his presence felt. Veteran Biswas, who won India's coveted Arjuna Award last week, too would be joined by India's one and the only IAAF World championship medallist George. But Malaysian triple jumper Ngew Sin Mei's plans to compete in Singapore has turned into dismay as the 21-year-old after she lost her international passport. The final-year matriculation student of the Bukit Jalil Sports School set two national records - in the triple jump (13.74m) and long jump (6.26m). IAAF President Lamine Diack will be the chief guest for the inaugural Asian All Stars meeting, along with the President of the Asian AA, Suresh Kalmadi as guest of honour. |
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