Dialog powers Sri Lanka to sixth Paralympic Games

The Sri Lanka Paralympic team
Pix by Nimalsiri Edirisinghe

By Susil Premalal

The Sri Lanka contingent for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics is being powered by Dialog Axiata PLC. The Tokyo Paralympics will be held from August 24 to September 5.

This is the sixth time Dialog is sponsoring the Sri Lanka Paralympic beginning from 2000 (Sydney), followed by 2004 (Athens), 2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio).

Sri Lanka’s National Paralympic Committee (NPC) has decided to field nine members in Tokyo. The team will be led by javelin star Dinesh Priyantha Herath.

The Sri Lanka Paralympic team comprises six athletes, one wheelchair tennis player, one archer and one rower. 
At the London games in 2012, Paralympian, Pradeep Sanjaya secured a bronze medal in the 400-meter T46 category with a timing of 49.28 seconds to secure Sri Lanka’s first podium finish at the Paralympics. At the 2016 Rio games, Paralympian Dinesh Priyantha Herath secured a bronze in the men’s javelin throw and also bagged a Silver in 2019 at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

The flag bearer Dinesh Priyantha Herath will compete in the F46 Javelin, whilst Samitha Dulan and Sampath Hettiarachchi will take part in F44 and F64 Javelin. Palitha Bandara will line up in F42 Shot Put and Maduranga Subasinghe will compete in the T47 400M. Kumudu Priyanka will take part in T45/46 100M, Long Jump and Ranjan Darmasena will be serving for the country in Wheelchair Tennis, whilst Sampath Bandara and Mahesh Jayakody will aim for medals in Archery and Rowing. 

Dialog Axiata is a long-standing partner of Para sports in Sri Lanka. 

Maj. Gen. (rtd) Rajitha Ampemohotti, the Chef de Mission of the Sri Lanka contingent said: “Sri Lankan Paralympians have performed admirably by winning consecutive medals during the last two games in London and Rio. Despite restrictions to training due to the COVID-19 pandemic the team has worked hard to do what it takes to climb the podium and hence we are confident on securing more metal in Tokyo.”

 
“Sri Lanka can expect to win a couple of medals,” said NPC president Lt Col Deepal Herath at a press conference in Colombo yesterday.