Merone Best Performer at Junior Nationals

By Susil Premalal

Promising young sprinter Merone Wijesingha of Ananda College, Colombo stole the limelight as he won the Best Performer Award at the 64th Junior National Athletic Championships 2024, which concluded at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Complex in Diyagama yesterday.

Wijesinghe was also named as the Best Athlete in the Boys’ Under-20 category as he powered his way to win the 100m final with a time of 10.38s.

Meanwhile, 30 new meet records were established at this four-day meet which was conducted by Sri Lanka Athletic as a trial to pick the junior national pool in preparation for the South Asian Junior Athletic Championships in Chennai, India.      

Challenge Trophies

Best Athlete Girls’ Under-16: Dilni Rajapaksha (Lyceum, Wattala) – long jump – 5.80m – NMR. Best Athlete Boys’ Under-16: S. Thribashith (S. Thomas’ Preparatory School, Colombo) - high jump – 1.95m – NMR. Best Athlete Boys’ Under-18: Tharusha Mendis (Lyceum, Wattala) – high jump - 2.14m – NMR. Best Athlete Girls’ Under-18: M. G. T. Abhisheka (Wickramabahu NC, Gampola – 800m – 2:11.06s – NMR. Best Athlete Girls’ Under-20: H. M. N. Madushani Herath (Nannapurawa MV, Bibila) – long jump – 6.32m – NMR. Best Athlete Boys’ Under-20: Merone Wijesinghe (Ananda, Colombo) – 100m – 10.38s. Best Athlete Girls’ Under-23: Sayuri Mendis (Navy SC) – 400m – 54.20s – NMR. Best Athlete Boys’ Under-23: Nadun Bandara (Sri Lak Athletics Club) – 110MH – 14.15s – EMR. Best Performer of the Meet: Merone Wijesinghe (Ananda, Colombo) – 100m – 10.38s.