Sunil leaves for Doha to train relay quartet

Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from Qatar

ASIAN GAMES: Sri Lanka has called veteran coach and former Asian Games gold medallist Sunil Gunawardena on a special mission to Doha in bid to strengthen their medal chances in men's 4 x 400m relay, team officials said in Doha on Wednesday.

Gunawardema, who was not in the original tour party as a coach, has been recalled to Qatar on a special mission. Former Sri Lanka sprint national record holder and men's 4 x 400m gold medallist at 1974 Teheran Asian Games is due to arrive in Doha on Thursday to train the Lankan relay team.

Two of Sri Lanka's leading 400m runners Rohan Pradeep Kumara and Prasanna Sampath Amarasekera will be joined by Rohitha Pushpakumara and Asoka Jayasundara in forming Sri Lanka's men's 400m relay quartet.

In a bid to strengthen their medal chances, Sri Lanka even withdrew Jayasundara from his individual event of men's 400m hurdles.

Sri Lanka team sources said the South Asian Games 400m hurdles silver medallist was asked to skip his pet event so that he could fully concentrate on the relay.

"There is a great competition in 400m hurdles. He even competed closely with Pradeep Kumara at trials. Hence, we decided to make full use of his services to add more strength to our team," sources added. It will be a welcome move at a time Sri Lanka is missing the services of injured former Asian Games gold medallist Sugath Tillakaratne.

In order to be on the spot and provide final technical guidance, the Sri Lanka team management, with the blessings of the Sri Lanka NOC, have decided to get down Gunawardena, who has produced many champion athletes over the years. He is also the personal coach of Rohan Pradeep, Amarasekera and Jayasundara.

Meanwhile, the much looked forward to athletic competition of the 39-discpline Games will commence on Thursday with men's and women's 20km walks.

Coming out for the first time from the 39-member Sri Lanka athletic team would be Geetha Nandani Gallage who will compete in women's 20km walk to be worked off along the Doha Race Walks Street Circuit commencing from 10.30 a.m. local time (1 pm SL time). Only seven women will vie for honours in this event.

In the sailing competition worked off at Doha Sailing Club, Radheeka Jirasinghe was placed seventh in women's optimist race 2.

Kamal Kumarapperuma and H.M.A. Amaradasa came second in men's doubles lightweight double sculls event, which had only two pairs. Devin de Alwis Goonewardena was a poor 11th and the last in men's optimist race 2.

There was another 'last place' for Sri Lanka in laser radial open race 2 when Janaka Welandagoda came 9th.

The only bright spot in sailing for Sri Lanka was Akshan Jirasinghe who secured the second place in laser 4.7 open race, behind Singaporean Xinru Colin Cheng.

Uzbekistan won their first gold of the Games at the rowing regatta and immediately followed it with their second. Vladimir Chernenko and Ruslan Naurzaliyev led from start to finish to claim gold in the men's double sculls ahead of South Korea and China.

The Uzbek pair finished more than three seconds ahead of their nearest rivals and Naurzaliyev said it was a reward for the practice they had put in. "We put a lot of effort and a lot of time into it," said the 21 year-old. "The Chinese were the major problem in the race.

In snooker, Sri Lanka's Pushpaumara W. Jayawardena lost to Pakistani Mohammed Yusuf by three frames to nil. Hong Kong, China earned themselves another crack at China after both teams won through to the snooker men's team event final tonight.

China won the doubles final between the two on the previous day but Hong Kong, China, will be out for revenge after defeating Malaysia 3-1 in their semi final.

Marco Fu led the way for the Hong Kongers on Wednesday 06, December with victories in his two frames and a success in the doubles frame alongside Chan Wai Ki. Moh Keen Hoo had given Malaysia hope when he won the second frame of the contest 60-34 against Fung Kwok Wai.

DOHA, Wednesday.