ANCL media sponsor : Ruwan Chinthaka the best rider
 

by Bernard Perera in Nuwara Eliya

E. Nuwan Chinthaka won the men's open mountain biking event at the Mahagastota mountain biking course last Friday which was organised by the Mountain Biking Association in association with the Nuwara Eliya Motor Sports Club and Municipal Council Nuwara Eliya, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd (Lake House) served as the media sponsor for the event.

Nuwan Chinthaka who won the last year's event had no difficulty in retaining the championship trophy for a another year.

Though the riders were on a newly constructed course which has been extended to ten kilometres to be in line with the international standards. Chinthaka got off to a flying start and was seen riding in front closely followed by D. M. S. Dissanayake and Sarath Kumara in the first lap. Chinthaka made good use of his experience to extend the lead when he reached halfway mark of the second lap and kept on increasing the lead to nearly 400 metres.

The followers could never able to reduce the lead and Chintaka became the clear winner in this event.

The women's open event was won by W. K. Pushparani.

She had to overcome stiff opposition from last year's under-19 winner R. P. Dinusha Dilrukshi and R. Pushpaweli from Nuwara Eliya.

The organisers had cancelled the new event Down Hill due to bad weather that prevailed in the evening.

The foreign competitors highly praised the course for its natural beauty and said that Sri Lanka had all necessities for mountain biking and it is now left for the governing body to pick the talented for the sport. If they pick the right talent Sri Lanka can reach the international arena soon.