Gunawardana forms Sprint Academy

Sampath Bandara

Former Asian gold medallist and veteran coach Sunil Gunawardana is to form Sri Lanka’s first-ever sprint academy for young athletes in the country.

‘The sprint Academy is only for short distance runners. This was my long term dream’, said Gunawardana.

Inborn talent is the most important factor in short distance running. The vision of ‘The sprint Academy’ is to bring together talented athletes from all over the country and provide them with systematic training and guide them to bring honour to themselves, their schools, their institutions and their country.

The sprint Academy will conduct training for 100m, 200m, 400m, 100 m Hurdles 110m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles and Long Jump. Training venues are Torrington Grounds, Reid Avenue Grounds and Sugathadasa stadium.

Minister of Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge was the chief guest at the launch and press conference held at Sugathadasa sports hotel.

‘This is a historical day for Sri Lanka’, Minister Lokuge said. “We need a long term plan to uplift our young athletes and lead them to honour their schools and country, Minister Lokuge added.

Former Sports Minister S. B. Dissanayake and Mrs Dissanayake also graced the occasion. Sunil Gunawardana was the first school boy athlete to break the 11 seconds barrier in 100 metres in 1968.