No luck for Sri Lanka on 5th day in Ashgabat

By Hishan Welmilla 

in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 

Taekwondo and chess were the two main events which Sri Lankans took part in the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games currently underway in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

In Taekwondo, Chalinda Liyanage competed in the men’s 68 kg Round of 32 contest and secured a win against his opponent from the host nation Turkmenistan, Serdar Caryyew. Liyanage had a setback in the first round as he was defeated by 10 points to 4. But he capitalised from the second round and was able to take the other two rounds (14-8, 19-5) to progress to the Round of 16.

Liyanage met Saudi Arabia’s Saud Ibrahim in the Round of 16 and was unlucky to be beaten by him and could not progress to the Round of 32.

In the women’s chess events, Saumy Zainab confronted Irine Kharisma of Indonesia in the Women’s Standard Individual Round 1 and lost the game 1-0.  Dasuni Hansika also competed in the same event against Vietnam’s Kim Phung but could not win the game. 

Rajendra Senaka Kalugampitiya met Sayed Mohomed from Qatar in the Men’s Standard Individual Round 1 and lost the game 1-0. Romesh Weerawardana met Vietnam’s Romesh Weerawardana but could not proceed further in the same event.

Ashgabat Venue is open 

for regional and 

international events 

The venue of the Ashgabat sports complex will be open for regional national olympic committees and international sports organisations to conduct their events, said Azat Muradove, Secretary General of the Turkmenistan NOC and a Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia, at the Special Turkmen State TV Media Forum held to summarise the success of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games 2017.

“We are happy to share this venue with our fellow Asian countries to have special combined training camps after the games and also it will be open to any international sports organisation to have their international events as well,” said Muradove.

According to reports, the Turkmenistan Government has spent approximately $ 5 billion on developing an Olympic village and $2.3 billion on a new international airport.