Our aim to win more medals - Sunil

Chinthana WASALA in Thailand

The Sri Lankan athletic contingent after competing in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix in Bangkok, left for Korat for the second leg of the same which is scheduled to be held tomorrow. The second episode of the 2008 Grand Prix is due to be held at the the King of Thailand’s 80th Birthday Celebration Stadium in Korat.

Sri Lanka was hoping for two gold medals at the first leg which concluded at the Tamasath University Stadium in Pathum Thani on Monday they were successful only to win one gold. They finished the first adding two Silver and three Bronze medals at the first leg.
 

India		08	07	05
China		06	03	03
Kazakhstan	03	03	03
Sri Lanka	01	02	02
Vietnam		01	01	01

Prasanna Sampath Amarasekera was the only golden athlete for Sri Lanka on the first leg of Games when he was victorious in the men’s 400m (46.89secs) Sri Lankan men’s 400X4 relay team could not achieve the expected results here although they were the masters for this event in the Sub Continent.

Their event turned up to be a bad one for them as Indians took the advantage of the lead they got in the first lap to win the race in 03mins 07.26secs. Lankans were placed second behind India who finished in 03mins 10.91secs.

Shivantha Weerasuriya who did the first lap of the race could not run head to head with the Indian athlete. The other Lankans could not reduce the gap between them and the Indians held on to their lead till the end.

Shivantha was not well for the last few days. If he does not turn out to be fit, we would have to make a change at Korat, said Sunil Gunawardena, the Sri Lankan manager. We are not satisfied with our performances in the first leg and would be doing give our best with new plans to go for more medals at the second leg tomorrow, added Gunawardena.

The Thai media seemed to be stunned after seeing the men’s 400m which Sri Lanka’s Prasanna Amarasekera and Rohitha Pushpakumara were placed first and second respectively. They praised the astonishing fight that two of them carried out throughout the race.

Bangkok, Wednesday