Sri Lanka won five medals on the opening day of the track and field competitions of the Asian Para Games 2018 today (8th) in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Sri Lanka sent a contingent of 30 Para athletes led by Para Olympic Silver Medalist, Javelin thrower Dinesh Priyantha to the Asian Para Games, which includes competitors in Para Athletics, Wheelchair Tennis, Archery, Shooting, Table Tennis, Badminton and Blind Chess. Having won 14 medals at the 2014 Incheon Para Asian Games, Sri Lanka will strive to better last year’s medal tally and relies heavily on the performance of their 20-member track and field team which makes up the majority of the contingent to the regional competition.
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All Sri Lankan Podium in the Men’s 200m T42, 63
It was a tremendously dominant performance by the three Sri Lankan athletes who participated in the Men’s 200m T42, 63 final as they managed to secure the top three spots to confirm an all Sri Lankan podium grabbing the all three medals on offer.
Amila Prasanna Warnakulasoriya won Sri Lanka’s first Gold medal of the competition as he managed to get the better of his two team mates clocking 26.01secs in the Men’s 200 T42,63 final. Upul Indika Chuladasa secured the Silver clocking 26.08secs while Buddika Indrapala clocked 26.59secs to win Bronze in the event.
Amara start her campaign with a Silver Medal
Double silver medalist at the 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games, Amara Indumathi commenced this year’s campaign in great fashion as she managed to win Silver in the Women’s Long jump T45/46/47 with a leap of 4.62m. Abdulleva Kamolakhon of Uzbekistan won Gold in the event leaping 4.71m in her last attempt which denied Amara from wining Gold. Zahara Boranaki of Iran won Bronze with a leap of 4.51m. Kumudu Priyanka Dissanayake the other Sri Lankan athlete who competed in the same event had to be satisfied with a fourth placed finish with her best leap being measured at 4.41m.
Silver for Sampath in the Javelin throw
Sampath Hettiarachchige won Sri Lanka’s third Silver of the day securing the Silver medal in the Men’s Javelin throw F42-44/61-64 event, Sampath was agonizingly a mere 70cm short of the Gold medal mark with his final attempt which turned out to be his best throw being measured at 59.32m. Gold medal winner India’s Sandeep Sandeep’s best throw was measured at 60.01m coming in his third attempt. Ali Omidi of Iran won the Bronze medal with a throw of 58.97m. Sri Lankan Samith Dulan was unlucky to miss out on a podium finish as he had to settle for the fourth place with his best throw of 58.38m coming short of the Bronze medal mark.
Tomorrow (9th) which will be the second day of the track and field competition will see the Sri Lankan athletes in 5 more finals with many expected to make it to the podium.
Visit www.ThePapare.com/athletics to be updated on the Sri Lankan track and field contingent at the 3rd Asian Para Games 2018.
