Army athletes dominate

ATHLETICS: Sri Lanka Army Sports Club dominated the final day of the first selection trials of the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka which were concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo, yesterday.

This two day event was conducted by the Athletic Association of Sri Lanka to pick the teams to represent the country at the forthcoming Asian championships, World Junior meet and to form a pool of athletes.

Sri Lanka Army annexed altogether eight titles in the open men’s and women’s events on the second day by winning the 100m men, 400m men and the women’s 1500m men, 10,000m men, long jump men, discus throw men and the pole vault men.

R.D.U.S. Surendra (SL Army) won the 100M open men event where he clocked an impressive 10.88 seconds, his team mate P.S. Amarasekara became winner in the 400m men with a time of 47.02 seconds.

The other title for Sri Lanka Army came through C. Wijekoon in the 1500m men’s event. The timing she clocked was 3 minutes and 47.51 seconds. In the men’s 10,000m M A.M. Ajith Bandara (SL Army) finished first with a timing of 31 minutes 54.75 seconds.

In addition, Sri Lanka Army continued their dominance in the men’s long jump too where N.P. Dharmaratne leapt to a distance of 7.38 metres to secure the first place.

E.P.D. Silva also from Army SC made a dignified mark in the discus throw event for open men’s. He threw to a distance of 41.39 meters.

M.T.R. Perera (SL Army) achieved a convincing height of 4.30 meters in the pole vault men to finish first while the solitary women title for Sri Lanka Army came from P.D.M. Wickkramasinghe in the 400m for women’s open where she clocked 54.68 seconds.

In addition, Nuwan Widanagamage (Track Master SC) won the 110 M Hurdles men with 14.79 secs, P.S. Buddhika (SL Air Force) clocked 11.92 secs. to take the women 100 M title while her team mate D.A.S. Samanmali (SL Air Force) registered a timing of 4:29.06 secs. to end up first in 1500 M.Air Force also impressed the in the women triple Jump where C.A. Dahanayake achieved a distance of 12.11 M.

In the women discus throw B.L.P.N. Wijesundara (Track Master SC) emerged champion with 44.94 M, Dulanjalee Ranasinghe (Devi Balika) won the high jump with 1.71 M.

In the under 20 boys 100 M Rasika Yapakulatunga (Colombo DAA) emerged first with 11.42 secs., U.G. Wickkramasinghe (St.Anthony’s, Kandy) won the 400 M with 49.02 secs., A.M.E.G.K.D. Abeysinghe (Walala A Ratnayake MV) clinched the 1500 M title (4:02.79 secs), H.M. Sudesh Prasanna (W/M/Yapahuwa MV) came first in 5000 M (15:52.40 secs), Sajith Nadeeshan (Maris Stella) took the 110 M Hurdles (14.91 secs), He also impressed in Long Jump where he achieved a distance of 7.29 M to finish first.

In the shot putt K.G.E. Fonseka (Maliyadeva) won the title (13.35 M), D. Sanjeewa Perera (St. Sebastian’s) won the javelin throw event (55.35 M).

Meanwhile in the girl’s events, P.G.L.S. Bandara (Walala A Ratnayake) clinched the 100 M (13.2 secs) and her team mates M.M.P.G.S.K. Samaraweera (59.65 secs) and T.M.U.W.M.K. Seelaratne (4:47.56 secs) won the 400 M and 1500 M events respectively.

R.H. Amale Nisansala (Puttalam DAA) bagged the 400 M hurdles (1:06.03 secs), E.K. Ishani Edirisinghe (Kurunegala DAA) secured the high jump event (1.61 M), P.B.W. Indiwari (Walala A Ratnayake) won the Triple Jump (10.93 M), W.M.S.K. Weerasekara (Polonnaruwa DAA) took the shot putt (11.55 M), P.P. Shereena Clarans (Lanka Lions SC) won the Javelin Throw event (36.05 M).

In the under 18 boys 100 M Sehan Abeypitiya (Track Master SC) finished first (11.24 secs), Thushan Ishara Liyanage (Kalutara DAA) bagged 400 M (50.8 secs).

R.R.D. Udara Ratnayake (Gateway College) bagged the girl’s 100 M (2.9 secs) while P.A.I. Madushani was the winner of 400 M where she clocked an impressive 1 minute and 00.78 seconds.

S.A