Weightlifters Kamal and Chinthana clinch gold medals

Sri Lankan weightlifters Kamal Bandara and Chinthana Vidanage won gold medals at the Weightlifting Competition of the 11th South Asian Games held at the National Sports Council gymnasium here in Dhaka.

Twenty-three-year-old Kamal Bandara from Air Force was the first competitor to win a gold medal for Sri Lanka in the 56 kg category. Kamal making his first appearance in SAG had 135 kg on the jerk and 95 kg on the snatch and lifted to a total of 230 kg perfectly.

Meanwhile, gold medallist at Commonwealth Games 2008, Chinthana Vidanage using his vast experience won the gold in the 69 kg category. He had a total of 297 kg in this event. On the jerk he had 168 kg and on the snatch 129 kg.

For Kamal and Chinthana it was a praiseworthy performances to achieve great success.

Jubilant Kamal told the Daily News that he was confident of winning a medal for the country as he trained in a very systematic manner.

“I am very proud of bringing honour to the country and my next aim is to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi later this year.

Kamal, a former student of Royal College, Polonnaruwa thanked his coaches Duncan Jayawardena, Chinthana Vidanage, Rukshan Gunatilleke and R.B. Wickremasinghe for their encouragement and valuable knowledge for him to go forward in this discipline.

He also performed creditably in Iran in 2008 winning three gold medals at the NAMJU World Cup weightlifting competition. Kamal also has participated at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in 2009 in Malaysia.

He is the national champion of Sri Lanka in the 56 kg category.

Lankan shuttlers excel

Sri Lanka shuttlers both men and women are assured of at least two silver as they stormed into the finals of the men’s and women’s badminton team championship at the 11th SAG. The tournament is held at the Wooden Floor Gymnasium at Paltan Maidan, Dhaka.

Our badminton players were the first to enter a final in the 23 disciplines of the games.

Sri Lanka men’s and women’s opponents will be the title holders India in both shuttle finals.

In the women’s semi-finals, Sri Lanka overpowered Bangladesh 5-0, setting up furious pace with Bangladeshi players found difficult to cope with.

Thilini Jayasinghe beat Rozina Akter 21/15, 21/7, Chandrika de Silva beat Shapla Aktar 24/22, 21/11. Achini Nimeshika beat Alina Sultana 21/8, 21/11. Achini Nimeshika/Samanthika Weerasinghe beat Rani Adhikary/Shapla Aktar 21/15, 21/12. Chandrika de Silva/Gayanthi Murukkuwaduwa beat Jebunnesa Seema/Alina Sultana 21/15, 21/09.

In the men’s semi-finals Sri Lanka registered an overwhelming 5-0 win against Nepal. Lankan shuttlers won all three singles through Niluka, Dinuka and Nuwan Dananjaya. The two doubles were won by Dinuka and Niluka Karunaratne and Rajitha Dahanayake and Hasitha Chanaka.

Results:

Niluka Karunaratne beat B. Shrentha 21/18, 21/7. Dinuka Karunaratne beat R. Taang 21/6, 21/13. Nuwan Dananjaya beat S.K. Tamrakar 21/14, 21/15. R.S. Dahanayake/Hasitha Chanaka beat B. Shrestha/B. Pradhan 21/10, 21/13. Dinuka Karunaratne/Diluka Karunaratne beat K. Rana/S.K. Tamrakar 21/13, 21/4.

Judokas win two silvers

Judoka Thusitha Rangana Fernando gave Sri Lanka a silver in the women’s Judo competition.

Thusitha grabbed the silver in the 81 kg event.

Sri Lanka won yet another silver medal in the men’s judo competition.

Krishan Priyadarshana won the medal in the 90 kg category.

Lankan spikers lose

Sri Lanka lost to India in the first match in the volleyball tournament by three sets to one played at Soharwady Indoor Stadium. Indian spikers were superior in all departments of the game and volleyballers could not match the power packed play of the opponents.

Indian players height was the telling factor comparing to our spikers height. The opponents superb blocking helped them to win the first two sets 25/18 and 25/19.

Sri Lanka spikers took the third set with better combined team work 25/22.

Our players did not play to set pattern and the Indians won the fourth set 25/16 with fine spiking, placements and superb dashes to seal victory.

Squash

Both Naveen Samarasinghe and Gihan Swaris lost their matches in the Squash Tournament played at Dhaka Club.

Firstly, Indian player Shondip had no difficulty to beat Naveen with superior court craft 3-1 while Gourov also from India outplayed Gihan 3-0 in the individual matches.

Cycling

Sri Lanka finished fourth in the Road Team Time trial cycling 80 km from B.K.S.P. Khuena to Gopalgoni Road. Competitors from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan participated in this event. India won its second gold at the 11th South Asian Games winning the cycling event 1 hour 47:11 seconds.

Pakistan had to remain satisfied with silver 1 hour 45:59 seconds while Bangladesh cyclist secured the bronze medal with a time of one hour 46.44 seconds.

Sri Lanka riders consisting of Dane Nugera, Sumith Nilanga, Janaka Hemantha, Swaris Premachandra clocked one hour 48:28 seconds to cover the distance.

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 28-8

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 28 points to eight in the men’s kabbadi competition after leading 16-3 at half time worked off at Kabbadi Stadium in Dhaka.

Saman Kun, a Sri Lankan Kabbadi player, got injured on the head, while his team was beaten by Pakistan.

Goalless draw

Sri Lanka and India soccer match in Group ‘B’ ended in a goalless draw (0-0) played at M. A. Aziz Stadium (243 kilometres away from the city) of Dhaka.

Sri Lanka who beat holders Pakistan 1-0 on Friday will now meet Afghanistan in the third game today. Our soccerites have now collected 4 points from two games and there is every possibility of booking a berth to the semi-finals for Lankan soccerites.

Sri Lanka has won two gold, two silver and one bronze at the end of day three of the SAG.