National Athletic Championship:

Galhena sets up a new Sri Lanka record

Yasaratne GAMAGE

G J A Galhena of Sri Lanka Army set up a new Sri Lanka record by clearing a distance of 40.25 metres in the women’s hammer throw at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Sports Complex on the second day of the 89th National Athletic Championship yesterday.

An athlete from the Malayasian Armeteur Athletic Union Jackey Wong, entered the meet record book when he threw the hammer a distance of 56.44 metres in the men’s hammer throw event.

Airwoman H A N Nawodini leapt a distance of 4.9 metres to win the gold in the Women’s long jump Heptathlon.

K K R Saman Kumara of Sri Lanka Army won the gold medal in men’s 10000 metres when he finished the event in 30 minutes and 54.80 seconds.

The 100 metres women’s final saw D A H Wijesinghe of Sri Lanka School Athletic Association winning the gold by finishing the event in 14. 66 seconds.

It was K P H Nirmal of Sri Lanka Navy who grabbed the gold in the men’s 110m final by reaching the finish line in 14.85 seconds while D M E D Fernando of Sri Lanka Army recorded a distance of 15.97 metres to win the gold in the men’s triple jump.

Sri Lanka Air Force collected more merits when T S Wanniarachchi reached a distance of 14.74 metres in the men’s shot put while Airman K P G P Amarasiri finished the men’s 800 metres in one minute and 52.62 seconds.

B L Nadeeka Lakmali and H P Y Ajith of Sri Lanka Army won gold medals in the women’s javelin throw ( 55.03 metres ) and men’s 400 metres hurdles (52.87 seconds) respectively.

C Sonali Meril of Lanka Lions Sports Club prevented the Forces domination by reaching the finish line in 57.90 seconds in the women’s 400 metres hurdles.

Kurunegala District Athletic Association grabbed the gold medal in the women’s high jump when Priyangika Madumanthi leaped a distance of 1.74 metres but it was G P C Weerakoon of Sri Lanka Air Force who collected the gold in women’s triple jump by reaching a distance of 12.05 metres.

N G Rajasekara went on to continue Sri Lanka Army’s medal spree by finishing the women’s 800 metres in two minutes and 09. 73 seconds. D D A Abeyratne who surpassed the others in 17 minutes and 48.51 seconds won the gold medal in women’s 5000 metres.

Earlier W.K.L.A. Nimali of Air Force created the only record on the opening day when she finished the women’s 3000 meters steeplechase race in 10 minutes 44.92 seconds. Nimali erased the last year record of W P E K Dulakshi , a timing of 10 minutes and 49.15 seconds.