Darsha, Menaka and Tharanga added to Sri Lanka squad for Asian Games

Dinesh Weerawansa

ASIAN GAMES: Sprinters Damayanthi Darsha, Menaka Wickremasinghe and high jumper Tharanga Vinodhani have been added to the new look Sri Lanka athletic pool for the forthcoming Asian Games to be held in Doha later this year.

The national athletic selectors, who met last evening, decided to add three-times Asian Games gold medallist Darsha to the Sri Lanka athletic team, subject to a final fitness test.

An official of the AASL said they plan to take around 35 athletes - the entire pool picked yesterday, subject to fitness and final approval.

Darsha, the most successful Sri Lanka athlete ever in the Asian Games history, did not compete both at last month's South Asian Games or at last weekend's National Sports Festival. She is gradually recovering after a knee operation and has already started her light work outs.

Darsha, who made her Asian Games debut in Hiroshima in 1994 with a women's 200m bronze medal, won a sprint double in women's 200m and 400m at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games.

She also won her back to back Asian Games women's 400m gold medal at the last edition held in Busan 2002.

She is expected to be fully fit before the Doha Games, which will be her fourth successive Asian Games.

Also included in the Sri Lanka team will be women's high jumper Tharanga Vinodhani who established a new Games record of 1.72m at last weekend's National Sports Festival.

South Asian Games gold medallist Dulanjalee did not compete at the NSF and in her absence Vinodhani bettered the 1.71m achievement of the Devi Balika schoolgirl at the eight-nation Games.

However, all Sri Lankan gold and silver medallists at the 10th South Asian Games have been included in the Sri Lanka pool, irrespective of their participation at the NSF, which was the final trial to pick the Sri Lanka athletic team for the 15th Asian Games in Doha in December.

Sri Lanka has also decided to compete in women's 4 x 400m relay, in addition to the two relays in which the hosts won gold medals at the South Asian Games - men's 4 x 400m and women's 4 x 100m.

That will make way for Menaka Wickremasinghe, who won women's 400m silver medal behind Pinky Paramevick at the South Asian Games.

Controversial woman sprinter Jani Chathurangani Silva, who was tested positive for Nandralone at the SA Games, has been axed from the previous 20-member pool named after the Colombo Games.

Six members each have been included for each of the three relays, but they would face a separate trial to pick the final four for each event. Sri Lanka athletic pool for Asian Games:

Men: Umanga Surendra (100), Rohan Pradeep Kumara (200m, 400m and 4 x 400m relay), Chaminda Sampath (triple jump), Kingsley Gunatillake (javelin throw), Manjula Kumara Wijesekera (high jump), Prasanna Sampath Amarasekera (4 x 400m relay), Rohitha Pushpakumara (4 x 400m relay), Salitha Ratnayake (4 x 400m relay), Sugath Tillakaratne (4 x 400m relay), M.U. Mudunegedara (4 x 400m relay), Ajith Bandara (marathon), Chaminda Wijekoon (1,500), Asoka Jayasundara (400m hurdles), S. Abeynayake (800m).

Women: Susanthika Jayasinghe (100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay), Damayanthi Darsha (women's 200m, 4 x 100m relay), P.A.S. Lakmini (4 x 100m relay), Padma Kumari (4 x 100m relay), Nadeeka Lakmali (javelin throw), Anne Maheshi Silva (javelin throw), Dulanjali Ranasinghe (high jump), Tharanga Vinodhani (high jump), Padma Nandani Wijesundara (dicus throw), D.D.P. Priyadharshani (4 x 100m relay), Menaka Wickremasinghe (400m and 4 x 400m relay), Lasanthi Deepika Jayawardena (4 x 400m relay), S.V.A. Kusumawathi (4 x 400m relay), Chandrika Subhashani (4 x 400m relay), D.H.M. Priyadharshani (4 x 400m relay), P.S.M. de Soysa (4 x 400m relay), Sujani Buddhika (200m and 4 x 100m relay),

Manager: Maj. Gen. Palitha Fernando.