Priyantha disqualified, stripped of silver

 Dinesh Priyantha 

By: Susil Premalal

Sri Lankan Para athlete Dinesh Priyantha was stripped of his silver medal at the 11th World Para Athletic Championships 2024 in Kobe, Japan.
The Paralympics gold medalist finished second in the Men’s F-46 javelin throw event with an effort of 64.59m but was stripped of the medal by World Para Athletics (WPA) following a protest on Saturday.
The complaint prompted a medical classification review for Priyantha, resulting in his disqualification from the event and India’s Rinku Hooda and Ajeet Singh being awarded the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
According to medical experts who conducted the reclassification, Priyantha no longer qualifies for Paralympic sports and will not be eligible for any of the disability categories.
A six-member Sri Lankan contingent participated in the World Para Athletic Championships, which served as a prelude to the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, featuring 1,078 athletes from 103 countries.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka finished with one silver medal and two bronze medals at the Championships.
Samitha Dulan won the silver medal in the Men’s F-64 javelin throw event, while Palitha Bandara and Indika Gamage both secured bronze medals in the Men’s F-63 shot put.