Sri Lankan wushuites runners up

Third South Asian Championships in Dhaka:

Sri Lankan National Wushu contingent comprising 21 players, emerged runners up at the 3rd South Asian Wushu Championship held recently at the Mirpur International Indoor Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh winning 5 Gold, 13 Silver and 6 Bronze medals.

India with a strong 40 member team became the champions and Nepal came third. Afghanistan, Pakistan and host Bangladesh were the other South Asian Nations who took part in the championship.

Taolu (Routine event of Wushu) player Ravindra Silva won 1 Gold in Nanquan, the Southern style bare hand event and 1 silver in Nangun, the Southern style Cudgel and 1 Bronze in Nandao, the Southern style Broad Sword and became the most successful player from Sri Lankan camp.

The other Gold medal winners were Taolu player Sujith Manjukumara [Thaijiquan] and Sanshou [the full contact combat event of Wushu] players Janaka Sampath [52KG], Capt; Ravindra Priyashantha [80KG] and Rasika Dissanayake [90KG]. 2006 Colombo South Asian Games Gold medallist Prabhath Manuranga who has been selected to represent Sri Lanka in the forthcoming Beijing Wushu Tournament during Olympic Games in August, 2008 managed to win a Silver in Nandao and a Bronze in Nanquan.

Partiality of some of the judges decisions cost him his Gold in Nandao. Others who won medals were Asanka Sujeevan Premaratne [1 Silver in Daoshu and 1 Bronz in Changquan], Dr. Uthpala Kumara Munasinghe [2 Silvers in Qiangshu and Jianshu], Nevindarie Premaratne [3 Silvers in women Nanquan, Daoshu and Gunshu], Sharika Dharshani [2 Silvers in women Qiangshu and Jianshu], Gayan Samidda [Silver in sanshou 56KG], Janaka Ruberu [Silver in 65 KG], Dilshan Kulasekara [Silver in 85KG], Achini Weerasinghe [Bronze in women Thaijiquan], S.Dunusinghe [Bronze in 60KG] and Mayura Saranga [Bronze in 70KG].

Speaking to Daily News Sports the Secretary of Interim Committee of Wushu Federation of Sri Lanka Manel Dharmakeerthie said " Being the runners up in South Asia beating Wushu pioneers like Nepal and Strongmen of Pakistan is significant. During this Championship there were so many judging blunders and unfair decisions.

That cost us at least another 4 Gold medals. Specially to Prabath Manuranga and Asanka Sujeewan.

As the Secretary General of South Asian Wushu Federation I summond the Executive Committee of SAWUF after the Championship and warned them. Also I suspended Indian Sanshou coach for 2 years for misconduct. In that meeting I suggested to invite Chinese expert judges to be head judge in both Taolu and Sanshou sections in all the future tournaments of South Asia.

Then we can minimise the partiality of South Asian judges' said Dharmakeerthie who himself is South Asia's most renowned and experienced International Wushu Sanshou Judge and Referee.