Janaka, Vidusha Best Athletes

By Susil Premalal reporting from Matara

Western Province (WP) continued with their dominance and retained the President’s Trophy in the 43rd National Sports Festival which concluded at the Kotuwila National Stadium in Matara on Sunday (24).

WP clinched the overall championship after they finished on top of the medals tally where they secured a rich haul of 102 Gold Medals.

Central Province (CP) with 46 Gold Medals were placed second followed by North Western Province (NWP) 27 Gold Medals, Sabaragamuwa Province (SGP) 26 Gold Medals and Southern Province (SP) 22 Gold Medals.

Meanwhile, Janaka Wimalasiri (CP) and Vidusha Lakshani (WP) clinched the Men’s and Women’s Best Athlete awards respectively.

Wimalasiri won the Men’s long jump with a performance of 7.83m while Lakshani took the Women’s triple jump with an effort of 13.32m.

However, the Sports Festival produced only two Sri Lanka records with Anitha Jegatheeswaran of NP taking the honours on the opening day with a splendid performance in the Women’s pole vault final.

In addition, Manoja Amarasinghe of SP set up a new record in the Women’s hammer throw final with a distance of 48.76m.

She bettered the previous record held by T. A. Maduwanthi of UP in 2017.

Results (finals):
Women’s hammer throw: 1. A. M. Amarasinghe (SP) 48.76m - NMR, 2. P. K. Maduwanthi (UP) 43.36m, H. A. Lakshika (WP) 42.86m
Men’s high jump: 1. Manjula Kumara (SP) 2.18m, Indika Udayakumara (SP) 2.01m, 3. R. B. Ranatunga (SGP) 2.01m
Men’s 5,000m: 1. Lionel Samarajeewa (CP) 14:59.35s, 2. A. K. Tharanga (SGP) 15.00.82s, 3. P. A. Bandara (CP) 15:02.85s
Men’s 10,000m: 1. A. H. Ariyadasa (SGP) 36:56.54s, 2. L. H. Anusha (UP) 37:10.16s, 3. A. L. Liyanage (SGP) 37:29.78
Championship awards:
(Men’s): Badminton: Western Province, Basketball: Eastern Province, Beach Volleyball: Western Province, Boxing: Uva Province, Cricket: Eastern Province, Elle: North Western Province, Judo: Central Province, Gymnastics: Western Province, Hockey: Central Province, Kabaddi: Eastern Province, Karate Do: Southern Province, Swimming: Western Province, Table tennis: Central Province, Taekwondo: North Central Province, Volleyball: North Western Province, Weightlifting: North Central Province, Wrestling: Western Province, Chess: Western Province, Beach kabaddi: Uva Province, Carrom: Western Province, Tug-o-war: North Central Province, Rugby: Central Province, Handball: North Central Province, Wushu (sanda): Western Province, Wushu (taolu): North Western Province.
(Women’s): Badminton: Western Province, Basketball: Western Province, Beach volleyball: North Western Province, Boxing: Western Province,
Cricket: Northern Province, Elle: North Western Province, Judo: Central Province, Gymnastics: Central Province, Hockey: Central Province, Kabaddi: Sabaragamuwa Province, Karate Do: Western Province, Netball: Western Province, Swimming: Western Province, Table tennis: Western Province, Taekwondo: Sabaragamuwa Province, Volleyball: North Western Province, Weightlifting: North Central Province, Wrestling: North Western Province, Chess: Central Province
Beach kabaddi: Western Province, Carrom: Western Province, Tug-o-war: Western Province, Rugby: Sabaragamuwa Province, Handball: Central Province, Wushu (sanda): Western Province, Wushu (taolu): Western Province.
Best players
(Men):
Badminton: Dinuka Karunaratne (WP), Basketball: E. Venajan (WP), Beach Volleyball: Asanka Pradeepkumara (WP), Bodybuilding: D. R. P. M. Basnayake (CP), Boxing: R. M. P Dharmasena (UP), Cricket: N. B. S. G. Naotunna (WP), Elle: S. A. Rumesh (NWP), Gymnastics: W. W. Ruchira Ranjana (WP), Hockey: D. R. M. I. K Jayasundara (CP), Judo: R. C. N. Dharmawardene (CP), Kabaddi: A. P. G. M Chathuranga (EP), Karate: W. K. I. Tisera (NWP), Swimming: Dimuth Akalanka Peiris (WP), Table Tennis: Udaya Ranasinghe (CP), Taekwondo: E. M. T. N. Ekanayake (NWP), Volleyball: V. K. C. Keerthiratne (NWP), Weightlifting: C. G. Vidanage (NCP), Wushu (sanda): P. M Balawardene (SGP), Wushu (taolu): A. M. P Kumara (NWP), Wrestling: E. M. G. Cathuranga (WP), Rugby: Thilina Wijesinghe (CP), Carrom: W. D. N. Fernando (WP), Chess: Romesh Weerawardene (WP), Beach Kabaddi: R. G Madushanka (UP), Handball: S. W. M. Deepal (NCP)
(Best Players Women):
Badminton: Thilini Hendahewa (WP), Basketball: Erandi Gallage (WP), Beach Volleyball: Ruwani Thakshila (NWP), Boxing: A. A. K. Nilmini (NWP), Cricket: S. Rajitha (NP), Elle: G. A. Malsha Sewwandi (NWP), Gymnastics: Rashmi Navodya de Silva (WP), Hockey: K. B. C. T. Themiya Dasa (CP), Judo: H. M. K. T. Karunaratne (SGP), Kabaddi, W. G. S. M. Jayasinghe (SGP), Karate: H. A. H. Hettiarachchi (NWP), Swimming: Vinoli Kaluarachchi (WP), Table Tennis: Ishara Madurangi (SP), Taekwondo: H. D. K. K. Wijerathne (SGP), Volleyball: H. R. S. Fernando (NWP), Weightlifting: Hansani Gomes (WP), Wushu (sanda): W. P. M. Madumali (WP), Wushu (taolu), A. H. K. G. M. Aparakka (WP), Wrestling: A. G. Lakshitha (WP), Rugby: Sandika Hemakumari (SGP), Carrom: Joseph Rositha (WP), Chess: Jananandani Abeysinghe (CP), Beach Kabaddi: R. P. M. Chathurika (WP), Handball: T. G. D. D. S. Ekanayake (CP), Netball:
Hashitha Mendis (WP).

DAY TWO REPORT: WP set to retain overall title   

Western Province (WP) put themselves in contention to retain the overall championship for another year after they built up a huge lead in the gold medals tally over their rivals on the penultimate day of the 43rd National Sports Festival worked off at the Kotawila National Stadium in Matara on Saturday (23). 

WP finished with a total of 91 Gold Medals well ahead of their closest rivals Central Province (CP) which had collected a total of 37 Gold Medals.

In fact, WP have emerged overall champions of the Sports Festival on 42 occasions with Southern Province (SP) winning the overall title in 1975    

North Western Province (NWP) were placed third with a total of 22 Gold Medals followed by Sabaragamuwa Province (SGP) and North Central Province (NCP) with 18 Gold Medals each.

But the biggest surprise was the poor performances of the SP Team which has dropped to sixth position with just 13 Gold Medals followed by Uva Province (UP) with nine Gold Medals, NP with six Gold Medals and Eastern Province (EP) with three Gold Medals.           

Results (finals):
Women’s 400m hurdles: 1. E. P. K Madushani (NWP) 01:01:20s, 2. G. A. S. Dulani (SP) 01:01:26s, 3. N. D. G. N Lakmali (SP) 01:01:78s
Men’s 400m hurdles: 1. A. L. A. I. Rathnasena (SGP) 52:52s, 2. S. M. A. Chathuranga (UP) 52:54s, 3. A. L. A. T. Rathnasena (SGP) 53:34s 
Women’s 200m: 1. S. L. Vidanadurage (UP) 25:16s, 2. M. O. Udayangani (UP) 25:21s, 3. W. G. Ewanthi Emashika (SP) 25:51s
Men’s 200m: 1. W. P. D. K. Wijerathne (SGP) 22:08s, 2. R. V. G. M. M. F. Udayar (EP) 22:16s, 3. K. H. A. Chamod (SP) 22:20s
Men’s shot put: 1. K. R. S. Jayawardene (NWP) 15.81m, 2. A. J. Dhanushka Perera (WP) 15.78m, 3. Z. T. M. Aashik (EP) 13.47m
Men’s 800m: 1. H. E. M. I. G. I. M. Herath (UP) 01:52:42s, 2. W. A. D. Kumara (WP) 01:53:28s, 3. M. M. K. Kushantha (UP) 01:53:42s
Women’s 800m: 1. G. A. T. Abeyrathna (SP) 02:07:47s, 2. Nadeesha Ramanayake (SP) 02:08:13s, 3. N. M. C. Dilrukshi (NWP) 02:09:08s
Men’s hammer throw: 1. W. G. S. R. Kumarasiri (NCP) 48.03m, 2. L. A. D. E. P. Lianson (WP) 47.90m, 3. Rohan Sisira Kumara (SP) 45.28m
Men’s long jump: 1. D. A. Wimalasiri (CP), 7.83m, 2. T. M. Liyanapathirana (WP), 7.49m, 3. G. K. Dhanushka (WP) 7.37m
Women’s discus throw: 1. P. K. Maduwanthi (UP) 41.05m, 2. A. G. Lakmali (NCP) 38.19m, 3. D. R. Perera (WP) 36.13m
Men’s pole vault: 1. M. I. Sandaruwan (WP), 4.60m, 2. K. C. Senarath (NWP) 4.40m, 3. K. A. Karunaratne (WP) 4.40m 

FIRST DAY REPORT: Anitha dazzles on the opening day

By Susil Premalal reporting from Matara

Sri Lanka’s pole vault prodigy Anitha Jegatheeswaran produced another magnificent performance to steal the limelight on the opening day of the National Sports Festival (NSF) which commenced at the Kotawila National Stadium in Matara on Friday (22).

The promising athlete from the Northern Province established another Sri Lanka record with a splendid effort of 3.48 metres and won the Gold Medal in the Women’s pole vault final.

The undergraduate from the Sabaragamuwa University bettered her own record of 3.47m which she established during the recent Sri Lanka Athletics Nationals worked off at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Complex in Diyagama.

Her performance was even more significance considering the fact that this was the fifth occasion that she had bettered her own pole vault record within the last couple of years.

R. A. Karunawansa of the Eastern Province (3.10m) and D. S. Ranasinghe of the Western Province (3.00m) were placed second and third respectively in this event.

Meanwhile, Lionel Samarajeewa of the Central Province put up a splendid performance to win the Gold Medal in the Men’s 10,000m final with a time of 31 minutes, 14.22 seconds.

He was followed by D. M. Bandara of the Central Province (31:18.98s) and P. A. Maduranga of the Sabaragamuwa Province (31:33.03s) in the second and third place respectively.

Tharika Fernando from the Western Province took the Gold Medal in the Women’s shot put with a performance of 14.35m.

M. N. Muthunayake of the Central Province won the Silver Medal with a distance of 12.19m while P. S. Clarence from the Uva Province took the Silver Medal with a distance of 11.94m.

The Sabaragamuwa Province athletes dominated the Women’s 5,000m with U. K. Ratnayake (17:09.6s) taking the Gold Medal and A. N. Ariyadasa (17:35.0s) winning the Silver Medal.

L. H. Anusha of the Uva Province settled for the Silver Medal in this event.

Meanwhile, T. M. Aashik of the Eastern Province clinched the Gold Medal in the Men’s discus throw final with a distance of 42.97m.

P. G. Ratnayake of the Central Province (41.68m) and K. M. Sunanda of the Southern Province (41.21m) secured the Silver Medal and the Bronze Medal respectively.

S. Jayasinghe of Sabaragamuwa Province took the Gold Medal in the Men’s triple jump final with a performance of 15.78m.

P. N. Karunasinghe of the Western Province won the Silver Medal with 15.75m and A. G. Sampath of the Uva Province took the Bronze Medal with 15.51m.

Earlier, the Festival was declared open by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with two former Sri Lanka athletes from the Southern Province Sujith Rohana and Sriyani Dhammika lighting the Olympic Torch.