Thursday Oct 23, 2025
Thursday Oct 23, 2025
Wednesday, 8 October 2025 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Hishan Welmilla
Sri Lanka’s para athletes successfully participated in the World Para Athletics Championships 2025 held in New Delhi, India. Despite constraints in training facilities, they managed to secure two bronze medals and several personal best performances.
The country’s medal tally was led by Pradeep Somasiri, who was awarded the bronze medal in the Men’s T46 1500m. Competing on an international stage, Somasiri adeptly secured third place on the last lap finishing in 3:53:77. His achievement stands as one of the finest middle-distance performances by a Sri Lankan para athlete in recent years, setting a new Asian Para Athletics record.
Nuwan Indika continued the streak of victory by winning bronze in the Men’s T44 Long Jump, reaffirming his position as one of Sri Lanka’s most promising field athletes.
Janani Dhananjana recorded a personal best jump of 5.36m and finished seventh in the Women’s T46 Long Jump. Additionally, her best time was 12:88 sec in the women’s T47 100m heat and had secured 12th place.
Buddika Fernando came in 7th with 6.70m in the Men’s T47 long jump final.
The season’s best distance of 14.07m in the Men’s Shot Put F63 finals was recorded by Palitha Bandara who came in fourth.
Sri Lanka’s para athletes trained with minimal facilities, often without access to proper gym equipment, synthetic tracks, or physiotherapy support. Unlike their able-bodied counterparts, they receive limited funding, sporadic sponsorships, and very few opportunities to train overseas. Many heavily depended on the commitment of their coaches and families.
In recent years, Sri Lanka’s para athletes have won medals at the Asian Para Games, World Championships, and even the Paralympics. As the country looks ahead to the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya 2026 Commonwealth Para Games in Glasgow, 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, their success at the 2025 World Championships should serve as both a celebration and a call to action.
The National Paralympic Committee (NPC) has been coordinating with a small pool of coaches, but the need for a national strategy is crucial. Investing in modern training centres, rehabilitation programs, and exposure tours would benefit Sri Lankan athletes.
