Lessons to learn from Sri Lankan para-athletes

Third Asian Para Games 2018

By Hishan Welmilla

The performance of the Sri Lankan para-athletes at the third Asian Para Games, currently underway in Jakarta, Indonesia, has provided many valuable lessons.

The Sri Lankans have secured 12 medals so far, a performance far superior to the Asian Games outing of our athletes without disabilities who returned empty-handed.

Sri Lanka fielded 35 athletes for the competition and they were able to book a place on the medal table on the very first day of the competition when they clinched all three medals in the Men’s T42/63 200 m event. Amila Prashan (26.01 seconds), Upul Indika Chuladasa (26.08 seconds) and Nirmala Buddhika (26.59 seconds) won the gold, silver and bronze medals respectively. This is the first time in Sri Lankan history where all three medals in one event were claimed by Sri Lankan athletes. 

This historic performance was repeated in the T42 Men’s 100 m event as all three medals went to Lankan athletes. Amila claimed his second gold medal with a new Asian Para record in a time of 12.56 seconds, beating the previous record held by Japan’s Yamota Hatsuhari in a time of 12.61 seconds which was recorded in Qatar at the Asian Para Athletics Championship in 2015. Amila’s teammate Upul Indika Chuladasa grabbed his second silver medal in a time of 12.87 seconds while the other Sri Lankan Keerthi Bandara annexed the country’s second bronze medal in the competition in a time of 12.92 seconds.

Both events rewrote the Sri Lankan record books.

The Sri Lankan camp was jubilant once again when Nirmala Buddhika helped hoist the Sri Lankan flag high in Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium by winning Sri Lanka’s third gold medal in the competition. Nirmala competed in the Men’s T42/61/63 Long Jump event and his distance of 5.76 m earned him a gold medal. 

Sri Lanka bagged its fourth gold medal of the competition yesterday when Dinesh Priyantha triumphed in the Men’s F46 Javelin Throw, setting a games record distance of 61.84 m. Dinesh is Sri Lanka’s first silver medalist at the World Para Athletics Championship held in 2017. This victory was significant because Dinesh was able to push world record (63.97) and Asian record-holder, India’s D. Devendra, to fourth place. Dinesh surpassed the previous games record held by Guo Chung Lian (58.59 m) of China (established at Incheon 2014).

Meanwhile, long jumper Amara Indumathi clinched a silver medal in the Women’s T45/46 event and Chaminda Sampath Hettiarachchi bagged a silver medal in the Men’s F42/44 Javelin event.

Sri Lanka’s Lal Pushpakumara won the bronze medal in the Men’s T64 High Jump with an impressive jump of 1.76 m.  

The silver medalist in the Women’s T45/46 long jump, Amara Indumathi, could not impress in the Women’s 200 m T/ 45/46/47 and finished fifth in a time of 27.96 seconds. Pradeep Somasiri and Saman Sunasinghe competed in the Men’s T45/46/47 200 m and clocked 23.12 seconds and 23.17 seconds to finish fifth and sixth respectively. Ajith Prasdanna Kumara finished sixth in the Men’s 200 m T44/62/64 event in a time of 24.99 seconds.

Palitha Bandara secured a silver medal in the Men’s Shot Put T42/61/63) event yesterday with a distance of 13.21 m which is a personal best.

Kumudu Priyanka competed in the finals of the Women’s T45/46/47 100 m and place seventh in a time of 0.14 seconds. Thisara Jayasinghe competed in the Women’s F57 Javelin Throw and finished ninth with a best throw of 13.13 m. Gamini Ekanayaka competed in the Men’s F46 Javelin Throw and finished fifth, achieving a personal best distance of 53.94 m. 

The Sri Lankan Para contingent Athletics Manager Colonel Deepal Herath was very impressed with the performance of the Sri Lankans at the competition.

“So far in the athletic competitions, Sri Lankan athletes secured 11 medals and set a new Asian record. It is a great achievement. In addition, many athletes qualified for finals and missed out on a few medals by a small margin. So this is a remarkable achievement,” said Col. Herath while speaking from Indonesia.  

“I should commended the work done by head coach Harijan Rathnayake and the other coaches toward this success as well as the athletes who have given their best,” added Colonel Herath.

Ajith Kariyawasam also competed in the Men’s Shot Put T42/61/63 event yesterday and finished eighth with a distance of 7.76 m. Ajith Prasanna Kumara, competing in the Men’s 400 m T44/62/64 event, finished sixth in a time of 57.50 seconds. Amila Warnakulasuriya and Nrimala Buddhika competed in the Men’s High Jump T42/63 and placed fourth and fifth respectively.

At the time of this article going to press, Malshan Jayalath, Pradeep Somasiri and Saman Subasinghe were competing in the Men’s 400 m T45/46/47 event and Amara Indumathi was competing in the Women’s 400 m T45/45/47 event. Sri Lanka occupied 14th position on the medal table at the conclusion of the sixth day of the Asian Para Games while China have secured the top spot with over 100 gold medals followed by South Korea and Iran in second and third position respectively.

Pic by Sanjaya Dassanayake