Dilhani to be appointed as overall captain

By: Susil Premalal

(Daily Mirror) - Hangzhou Asian Games women’s javelin throw silver medalist Dilhani Lekamge of Army SC has been named as the captain of the Sri Lanka Athletic Team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, which will be held from July 26 to August 11 in France.

The 37-year-old athlete, a past student of Mahinda College, Eheliyagoda, is the most senior member of the Sri Lanka Athletic contingent for the Paris Olympic Games. 

Dilhani made it to the national athletic squad following some outstanding performances in the All-Island School Games and the Sir John Tarbat Junior and Senior Athletic Championships.

She won silver medals at the Bhubaneswar Asian Senior Athletic Championships in 2017, the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022, and secured a bronze medal at the Bangkok Asian Athletic Championships in 2023.

In addition, she placed fifth at the 2018 Commonwealth Games women’s javelin throw event in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Dilhani is also set to be appointed as Sri Lanka’s overall captain for the Paris Olympic Games, according to reliable sources from the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL).

The NOCSL is set to name the overall captain of the Sri Lankan contingent for the Paris Olympic Games tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Sri Lanka Athletics, Saman Gunawardena, will be the manager of the three-member Sri Lanka Athletic Team.
In addition, two swimmers and one badminton player will also represent Sri Lanka at the Paris Olympic Games.

Shuttler Viren Nettasinghe is the only Sri Lankan to qualify directly for the Paris Olympic Games, while Kyle Abeysinghe and Ganga Senevirathna are the other two swimmers. 

Athletes Dilhani, Tharushi Karunarathna, and Aruna Dharshana qualified for the Paris Olympic Games through the IAAF World Rankings.