By Susil Premalal
Sri Lanka’s Ayomal Akalanka and Nilupul Pehesara won silver and bronze medals at the 7th Commonwealth Youth Games yesterday (10) at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago.
It was the first time since 2015 that Sri Lanka won medals at a Commonwealth Youth Games.
What made this achieve more remarkable was that it was achieved without a manager, coach or any other official going with the athletes due to not having a visa.
Akalanka of Ambagamuwa MMV came second in the 400m Hurdle Boys’ Final with a time of 51.61m while Pehesara of Vijitha MMV Dikwella cleared a height of 2.00m to win the bronze medal in the Boy’s High Jump.
A total of 11 athletes from Sri Lanka (five track and field athletes, four swimmers and two Beach Volleyballers) are participating at the games. These were the only two medals Sri Lanka has been able to win so far.
Akalanka also won a bronze medal for Sri Lanka in the Asian Youth Athletic Championship 2023 held in Uzbekistan.
The gold medalist was Jamaica’s Daneil Anthony (51.51 secs) while Oliver Parker of England (52.36 secs) took the bronze medal.
Akalanka qualified for the finals by recording the best timing, of 51.99 secs, in heat two.
Meanwhile, this is the second medal won by High Jump Boys bronze medallist Pehesara at international level.
Lasandu Arthavidu of D. S. Senanayaka College Colombo who participated in the event with him, finished fourth having cleared a height of 1.95m.
Shalani Hansika of Ambagamuwa MMV finished fourth in the 400m Hurdle Girls Final Event with a time of 1:03.44 secs.
