SLC awards 28 million rupees to Asian Games medal winners

Gold medalist Tharushi Karunarathna receives the relevant prize money from Olympic silver medalist Susanthika Jayasinghe. SLC President Shammi Silva, SLA President Major General Palitha Fernando, and SLA Secretary General Saman Kumara Gunawardena are also in the photo

By Susil Premalal

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) took steps on November 17 to award LKR 28 million in prize money to athletic medal winners, including Hangzhou Asian Games 2022 gold medalist Tharushi Karunarathna.

Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) claims that this is the first time that SLC has awarded such an amount to medal winners at the international level in another sport.

SLA General Secretary Saman Kumara Gunawardena said that SLC President Shammi Silva and the Executive Committee took steps to award such cash prizes to Asian Games athletic medalists.

Accordingly, the SLC decided to award LKR ten million to Hangzhou Asian Games 400m women’s gold medalist Tharushi Karunarathna and LKR five million to Javelin Throw women’s silver medalist Dilhani Lekamge.

In addition, six members of the 4x400m men’s relay team (Aruna Dharshana, Kalinga Kumarage, Pabasara Niku, Rajitha Rajakaruna, Pasindu Kodikara, and Dinuka Deshan) were each awarded LKR one million per player, and the four members of the 4x400m women’s relay team (Tharushi Karunarathna, Nadeesha Ramanayake, Sayuri Mendis, and Jayeshi Uththara) were also awarded LKR one million each.

Apart from that, Tharushi’s coach, Susantha Fernando, was awarded LKR two million, and silver medalist Dilhani Lekamge’s coach, Pradeep Nishantha, was awarded LKR one million.
SLC President Shammi Silva and SLA President Maj. Gen. Palitha Fernando presided over the relevant felicitations at SLC Headquarters.