Women swimmers win 3 silver and 4 bronze medals

Leslie Fernando reporting from Pakistan

SWIMMING: Sri Lanka’s women swimmers put up yet another fine performances when they won the 4 x 100 metres medley relay ‘quarter’ composed of Mineka Karunaratne, Minruwani Samarakoon, Hansani Weerathunga and Chamari Kudabalage won the silver medal at the 1st South Asian Swimming and Water Polo Championships conducted by the Pakistan Swimming Federation and continued at the Jinnah Sports Complex Swimming Pool yesterday.

Lankan swimmers in lane two started off well with their main opponents India also showing much confidence. Chamari started off with back stroke, but Indians took the lead.

Mineka who won the first gold for sri Lanka in the 100 metres breaststroke swam in the second lap with ease followed by Minruwani on the fly and Hansani on the final lap free style to finish second with a time of 4:59.67 secs. India won the gold ‘clocking’ 4.49.35 secs while Pakistan obtained the bronze 5.13.41 secs.

Mineka Karunaratne and Miniruwani Samarakoon also kept the Sri Lanka flag flying when both won silver medals.

Meneka won the silver in the 200 metres breaststroke returning a time of 2:35.99 secs. It was keen tussly between the Indian swimmer.

Rajendra Bhosale who won the gold - 2:56.1 secs. Aqusa Tariq of Pakistan won the bronze 3:12.72 secs.

Miniruwani accounted for the third silver for Sri Lanka in the 100 metres butterfly stroke with a time of 1:09.95 secs. It was a new national record. She erased off her own mark of 1:10.04 secs.

Miniruwani also won the bronze in the 400 individual medley open 5.49.44 secs. Dehara Katipearachchi bronze in 200 metres 2:48.15 secs. Dilani Mediwake a bronze in the 100 m breast stroke under-14, 1.25.07 secs and Madhavee Weerathunga bronze in the 50 metres free style.

India routed Pakistan by a massive margin of 18 goals to 4 in the first water polo match.

Today Sri Lanka take on Pakistan in the final match of the Water Polo League Tournament.

ISLAMABAD, Tuesday