Madusanka and Ratnayake win gold for Sri Lanka

Published : 9:15 pm  June 11, 2012 |  No comments so far  |     |   (27)  |  

Sri Lanka came up with gusty performances to win two gold medals and a silver medal on the redeveloped Sugathadasa stadium on Sunday. First, it was Sri Lanka’s 400 meter runner in the women’s category R.M.S.K. Ratnayake who made a top class run to out run the top athletes from India and Kazakhstan. Ratnayake, who was behind the leader when reaching the half way mark, made great effort in the last 200 meters and piped the Indian athlete just on the line. In the last 50 meters she had an exceptional run which surprised all onlookers.

Nadeeshanee Henderson, another Sri Lankan who was ahead of Ratnayake up to 300 meters, could not hold on to the position she gained with a good start and was able to finish as the fourth in this event. These two athletes received the best morale boosting support from the spectators throughout the race. The very next event saw the Lankans gain their second gold to increase the number of medals when Dulaj Madusanka went on to win the 400m event after a strong battle. He had to face stiff competition from Japanese and Chinese athletes before crossing the finishing line.

Madusanka though he received the strong challenge he was the favorite to win the race according to previous day’s timing where he clocked 47.77 seconds which also paved the way for him to reach the qualifying standard to compete at the world Youth Athletic championship in few months from now. With his top class run to win the gold also saw him improve in his timing by another  0.30 seconds completing the event only in 47.36 seconds.

This achievement also proved that another middle distance runner is in the making for Sri Lanka to carry on the supremacy gained for this particular event way back in seventies. Since that period Sri Lanka has been dominating the 400m race in both men and women categories in the Asian region where all high ranking countries have failed to grab it from us.

Madusank speaking after the race said that his main intention was to bring glory to the country. He also said that when he timed 47.77 seconds during the heat he made it a point to continue it and wanted to go beyond that time with the sole intention of fighting against the top runner from Japan, China and Chinese Taipei. He said that it was a tough battle as all of fought well for supremacy in this event.

He also thanked his coach Chandana Amerasinghe for the part he played to make him a winner in an International event against all odds. Further he was of the view that if more facilities provided he could further improve on his timing at present all practices were done under difficult conditions he said. The women high jumper Nimesha Siriwardene added the third medal for Sri Lanka when she bagged the silver in the high jump event. This seventeen year old school; girl from Galenbindunuwewa, Anuradhapura, went over 1.79 meters to achieve this medal. The winner from Taipei too cleared the same height but was the winner as she cleared it in her first attempt.

She too was of the view if she has better facilities for training she is able to go further up in the ladder. She thanked her coach, Herath for guiding her to this level. She said that at the Junior Nationals she was able to clear 1.80m and was expecting to go higher but with the type shoes worn for the event did not suit the conditions here.

Her coach too said that if she needs more facilities to improve on her standard, she finds it very difficult to do practices using international standard equipments. If she is to have these facilities she has to come to Colombo to have these but she is unable to do so as is a student who cannot travel to Colombo frequently. Also as students they solely depend on their parent s to find everything and also have to concentrate on their studies while engaging in sports. The authorities should take necessary steps to nurture them to reach greater heights in their sporting carriers.

China heads the medals tally (12) six gold, five silver and one bronze followed by Chinese Taipei  four gold medals and Sri Lanka (3) two gold and one silver. On the second Chinese Taipei collected a total of three gold medals get to the second spot in the medals tally.

RESULTS

10,000m (Women)

1. Lee Jeongeun (KOR) 49.:04. 60 secs, 2. Wang Yalan (CHN) 50:01.15, 3. Kaur Khushbir (IND) 50:39.40,

Shot Putt (Women)

1. Lai Li-Chun (TPE) 14.25m, 2. Lee Mina (KOR) 14.12m, 3. Thongohao (THA) 13.98m,

LONG JUMP (Men)

1. Lin Qing (CHN) 7.96 m, Takamasa Tomaya (JPN) 7.68m, 3. Kumaravel Prem Kumar (IND) 7.52m,

HIGH JUMP (Women)

1. Wu Meng-Chia (TPE) 1.79m, 2. H.M. Nimesha Siriwardene (SRI) 1.79m, 3. Liu Xiao  Yun (CHN) 1. 76m

400m (Women)

1. R.M.S.K. Ratnayake (SRI) 55.91 secs, 2. Mondal Priyanka (IND) 56.01 secs, 3. Andreyeve Olga (KAZ) 56.03 secs,

400m (Men)

1. R.A. Dulaj Madushanka (SRI) 47.36 secs, 2. Kimura Kazushi (JPN) 47.53 secs, 3. Kaaibi Bandar Atiyah  (CHN) 47.73.

1500m (Women)

1. Wang Yan Fei (CHN) 4:23.95 secs, 2. Wu Li Min (CHN) 4:24.36, 3. Yoshimizu Saki (JPN) 4:38.76,

1500m (Men)

1. Driouch Hamza (QAT) 3:39.85, 2. Teng Hining (CHN) 3:43.00 secs, 3. Hairane Jamal (QAT) 3:48. 11

Javelin Throw (Women)

1. Liu Shi Ying (CHN 53.02m, 2. Shimabukuro Tumi (JPN) 49.64m, 3. Heo Hyokeng (KOR) 45.45m

10000m (Men)

1. Pal Rahul Kumar (IND) 30:28.95, 2. Kamino Daichi (JPN) 31:22.10, 3. Takahashi Soushi (JPN) 31:54.63,

DECATHLON

1. Mao Chi Shun (TPE) 6252 points, 2. Alzeed Nagid (KUW) 5957 points, 3. Sorour Abdullah (KUW) 5422 points, 4. Sanael Jamaladdin (IRI) 5412 points

- By B. R. Perera