Make the best of the last chance

Chinthana WASALA

The Asian Grand Prix Athletic Championship did not turn out to be a good one for the Sri Lankan athletes this season.

Prasanna Sampath Amarasekera who won the men’s 400m in the first two legs of the series is the only gold medallist. Chandrika Subhashini (Women’s 400m), Rohitha Pushpakumara (Men’s 400m) were the others to impress winning silver medals.

In comparison with the last Grand Prix, in which Sri Lanka won three gold, four silver and two bronze medals with only nine athletes taking part, this year they achieved two gold, six silver and five bronze medals fielding 15 athletes.

It is clear that there is a lapse of Gold and Silver medals this year. When Sri Lanka’s neighbour, India ran in the 4X400m relay, both men and women got close to the qualifying standards of the Olympics.

But Sri Lanka who were the kings of the men’s 4X400m relay in the region, failed to impress even once and watched the Indians claim the gold.

It is true that they missed the service of one of their most powerful runner, Rohan Pradeep Kumara. But when competing at the international level such things can not be given excuses.

Umanga Surendra who won the third place in the first leg could not repeat the same in the other two locations. Priyangika Madumanthi and Premila Priyadarshani failed to even get closer to the top three positions. Both of them did not even get close to their personal best.

It is usually the human nature that someone puts his or her best effort at the right time.

So it remains a question as to why the athletes missed the opportunity to reach the qualifying standards for the Olympics at the last given chance.