Pradeep wins 400 metres T46 Bronze:

First ever medal for Sri Lanka in Paralympics

Yasaratne GAMAGE

Sri Lanka's U P Pradeep Sanjaya won the first ever medal in a Paralympics for the country when he finished third, clocking 49.28 seconds in the men's 400 metres T46 event to win the bronze medal at the London Paralympics Games yesterday early morning.

Matzinger Gunther of Austria won the Gold Medal with a timing of 48.45 (T46) seconds while Brazilian Nascimento Yohansson (T 45) won the silver by clocking 49.21 seconds.

Pradeep also erased the T46 400m Asian Record yesterday and his achievement has placed Sri Lanka in the 68th position in the London Paralympics medals table.

This is a remarkable achievement from Lance Corporal Sanjaya who had his left arm paralyzed after he was a victim of a mortar blast in Kilinochchi in 2008 which did not prevented him from becoming an athletic hero for his country.

Sanjaya was placing first in both 400m and 200m events at the Army Para Games in 2010 and set up a new Army record in the 4 x 100 relay event clinching the first place. In Asian Para Games 2010, held in China, he won the first place in the 400m and took part in the 200m.

He further accelerated himself in the 2012 Selection Trials for Para Olympic Games in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia and went on to create a new Asian record by finishing first in the 200m in 22.98 seconds.

In the same championship, he secured the first place in the 400m event by clocking 50.56 seconds.

Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa also admired his victory and congratulated Sanjeewa over the phone, the Sports Ministry media reports revealed.

The sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage who is in London to encourage Sri Lankan contingent congratulated Sanjeewa soon after the event for bringing honour and glory to the motherland.