Asian Games 2022 Gunawardena confident in Sri Lanka’s athletes could win medals at Hangzhou Asian Games

By Susil Premalal

Sri Lanka will be fielding a strong team at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games after a lapse of several years, according to a veteran Sri Lanka sprinter and athletic coach Sunil Gunawardena. The Asian Games will be held from September 10 to 25.  

Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) has selected a 21-member pool for the Asian Games comprising 11 men and 10 women.  

Gunawardena was a member of the gold medal winning 4x400m Sri Lanka men’s relay team at the 1974 Teheran Asian Games and also represented the country at the 1972 Munich Olympics. He has also produced several national and international level athletes as a coach.  

A former President of SLA, Gunawardena believes Sri Lanka can win no less than six medals at the Asian Games.  

According to his prediction, Sri Lanka can expect medals in the 800m women, 1500m women, javelin throw (men), high jump (men), 100m men, 4x400m men’s relay and 4x400m mixed relay events.  

Gunawardena said it is the responsibility of officials and trainers to ensure the form of athletes are maintained in the few months leading up to the Games.  

Sri Lanka entered 12 athletes (seven men and five women) at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games but failed to win a single medal.  

The last time Sri Lanka’s athletes won medals at the Asian Games was 16 years ago at the 2006 Doha Games when they bagged one silver and two bronze medals.  

Susanthika Jayasinghe won silver in the women’s 100m and a bronze in the 200m while the men’s 4x400m relay team also clinched a bronze medal (Rohan Pradeep Kumara, Rohitha Pushpakumara, Prasanna Amarasekara and Ashoka Jayasundara).  

Sri Lanka’s athletes did not win a medal at the 2010 Guangzhou 2014 Incheon and 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. 

Sri Lanka team:-   
Men:- 
Sumedha Ranasinghe (Javelin throw), Kalinga Kumarage (400m, 4x400m, 4x400m mixed), Yupun Abeykoon (100m), Ushan Thivanka (High Jump), Roshan Ranathunga (110m Hurdle), Chamal Kumarasiri (Triple Jump), Dhanushka Sandaruwan (Long Jump), Aruna Darshana (4x400m, 4x400m mixed), Isuru Lakshan (4x400m), Pabasara Niku (4x400m), V. Deshan (4x400m)  
Women:- 
Nilani Rathnayaka (3000m St.Ch), Gayanthika Aberathne (800m ,1500m), Sarangi Silva (Long Jump), Tharushi Karunarathna (4x400m mixed), Nadeesha Rathnayaka (4x400m mixed), Amasha De Silva (100m, 4x100m), Rumeshika Rathnayaka (4x100m), Shelinda Jansen (4x100m), Medhani Jayamanna (4x100m), Lakshika Sugandhi (4x100m).