Heshan and Mayumi excel in Bangkok

Young Heshan Unamboowe from Trinity College Kandy and Mayumi Raheem from Otter Aquatic Club were outstanding at the 4th AASF Asian Age Group Championships held in Bangkok from the 19th to the 22nd of August.

Heshan and Mayumi were both swimming in the Under 14 category while Natasha was swimming in the open category. Heshan was outstanding, winning a Gold Medal in the 50m Back Stroke event with a time of 00.29.46 a Silver Medal 200m Back Stroke event with a time of 02.21.09 and a Bronze Medal in the 100m Back Stroke event with a time of 01.04.10.

Mayumi too was outstanding having set a new Sri Lanka and National Record of 00.36.24 in the 50m Breast Stroke event improving on the previous record set by her in 2004 and set a new 100m National Record, which was previously set by Thehani Weerasinghe in 1991, by clocking 01.18.07 which incidentally is much faster than the SAF games record for this event in two outstanding swims.

Both Mayumi's records were set in the finals of the meet. The only other Sri Lankan swimmer to win a medal at this meet was Natasha Kodituwakku who achieved her feat in the 400m Individual Medley in a straight final winning a Bronze Medal in which 3 swimmers participated.

Of the 42 swimmers who took part from Sri Lanka it was only Heshan, Mayumi and Natasha who qualified to swim in the finals of their respective events, of which it was only Heshan and Mayumi who were bestowed a Diploma from the Olympic Council of Asia for their outstanding performances.

Heshan and Mayumi were nominated by SLASU and the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka to follow the Asian Swimming Talent Identification Project sponsored by Olympic Council of Asia, Olympic Solidarity and FINA prior to this meet.