National Athletic pool to be increased to 30

By Susil Premalal

Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) has decided to increase the national pool to 30.

This is following the first athletic (senior and junior) selection trials held at the Sugathadasa Stadium in preparation for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, said SLA Recorder Saman Kumara Gunawardena.

At present, SLA has an elite pool of 25 and a national pool of 26. Following a review of the performances of the national poolists, 10 athletes would be replaced by new ones.

Two Sri Lanka records and one junior national record were set during the selection meet.

Army athletes Kaushalya Perera (pole vault women) and Sarangi de Silva (long jump women) set Sri Lanka records of 3.65m and 6.65m, respectively. Hirusha Hashen set a new junior national mark in the long jump of 7.67m to qualify for the 2022 World Junior Athletic Championship.