Track and field athletes of the Island are set to for an eventful 2018 with both Senior and Junior athletes readying to compete in regional and international competitions in the near future.
The AASL recently released the proposed calendar for the upcoming year. The new year will get on to an eventful start with the final national trials for the Gold Coast Commonwealth games 2018 set for the 02nd of February which will provide the final and most probably the only opportunity for the Sri Lankan Athletes to qualify for the Commonwealth Games. With the Sri Lankan National Olympic Committee (SLNOC) providing a quota of only 13 athletes (7 Male, 6 Female) for Track and field there will be intense competition amongst the athletes to make the cut for the all-important Commonwealth Championship and will also be focused on the Asian Games competition that will be held in Indonesia in August.
Sri Lankan junior athletes will also be involved in plenty of international competition in what looks to be a busy year for the young athletes and the coaches alike. AASL is hoping to host the Junior SAF games championship at Sugathadasa Stadium in May next year with the Class A track set to be re-layed by the beginning of the February at the currently dysfunctional track and field hub of the country. This meet will act as an important precursor for the Junior Asian Athletic Championship scheduled to be held in June in Gifu, Japan. The main aim of all the aspiring junior athletes undoubtedly will be to qualify for the 3rd Summer Youth Olympic Games which will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from the 6th to 18th of October 2018.
With a host of international meets set to be worked out during the next year, we at ThePapare.com sincerely hope that the relaying work of the Sugathadasa Stadium is completed on time providing the Island’s athletes with a fair opportunity to train their trade so they may excel at the international level and win glory for the country.
Proposed Athletic Calendar for 2018 – as at 30th October 2017
