A team of 21 for Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games

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Sri Lankan will be fielding a team of 21 representing 5 disciplines for the 5th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games (AIMAG), held in Turkmenistan city of Ashgabat over a period of 3 days from 18th to 20th September.

A multisport event held every four years among the athletes from all over Asia, Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games is a much looked forward to competition that is organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The Inaugural edition of the games was conducted in 2005 in Thailand and this year’s competition will be the 5th edition of the Games.

Having participated from the inaugural edition, Sri Lanka has a total of 5 medals that include 3 Silver and 2 Bronze medals. 21 various sporting disciplines will be competed at this year’s competition out of which Sri Lanka will be in competition at chess, weightlifting, wrestling, taekwondo and indoor athletics. Naval Captian Chandana Bopagoda will act as the Chief-de mission on tour.

Sri Lankan athletes competing in the indoor athletic competition will carry most of the Island’s medal hopes with the five athletes that participate in the competition being national record holders in their respective events. In the 800m Indunil Herath and Gayanthika Abeyrathne will be prime contenders for a podium finish while Sri Lanka’s national record holder in the 100m Himasha Eshan will hope that he will be able to come back to his usual form in the 60m contest. In the field events, national record holder Amila Jayasiri will be hoping to leap towards a medal in the long jump. Vidusha Lakshani who was maliciously denied of a medal at the Asian athletic championship will be looking to add an indoor medal to her tally.  Olympian Manjula Kumara will be the other Sri Lankan athlete that will compete in the high jump and push for a medal finish.

Chess

Men’s – Raijndra Kalugampitiya, Romesh Weerarwadane,
Women’s – Saumy Zainab, Dasuni Mendis,
Nirukshi Panagoda – Coach

Weightlifting –

Men’s – Kamal Egodawatte (56Kg), SangeethWijesuriya (62Kg), Ushan Charuka (105Kg).
N, Dayan – Coach

Wrestling –

Men’s – Divoshan Fernando (57Kg), Chamra Milinda Perera (65Kg), Suthija Maduranga (74Kg)
Women’s – Niroshani Karunasena (48Kg), Shamika Madhushani (52Kg), Dilhani Kumari Weerabahu (58Kg)
K.P Priyantha – Coach

Taekwondo –

Men’s – Anura Bandara (54Kg), Sampath Liyanage (57Kg)
M.K Romesh – Coach

Indoor Athletics –

Men’s – Himasha Eshan (60m), Indunil Herath (800m), Amila Jayasiiri (Long Jump), Manjula Kumara (High Jump)
Women’s – Gayanthika Abeyrathna (800m), Vidusha Lakshani (triple Jump)
Sajith Jayalal – Coach
Official – Captian Chandana Bopagoda