What's the sport for Chalanaka - athletics or cricket?
by Priyan DE SILVA - Matara Sports Corr.
ATHLETICS: "Although I could not win a medal for Sri Lanka at either
the World Youth Games or at the Commonwealth Youth Games, I will go for
the Gold at the Asian Junior Championships next year to be held in Sri
Lanka." So said Chalanaka Priyanath Weerasingha - the current
record-holder for Javelin Throw under-17 in Sri Lanka.
A student of Vijitha Central College, Dickwella, Chalanaka, is under
the able guidance of coach K.H. Keerthi Kumara who is currently attached
to the Department of Physical Education of the University of Ruhuna.
Coach Keerthi Kumara served as a Physical Training Instructor for 20
years prior to taking up the present assignment. Earlier Olympian Majula
Kumara Wijesekera was coached by Keerthi.
Chalanaka Priyantha Weerasingha has been changing his events from
time to time. In 2004, coach Keerthi Kumara spotted him as a 10-year-old
and got him to High Jump and Long Jump, but in 2006 Chalanaka took to
throwing the javelin, in 2007 he took first place in high jump, second
in javelin and third in long-jump at the Southern Province Schools
Athletic Championship.
It was a jumble of events and in 2008 Chalanaka won the high jump
event for under-16 with victory in the javelin event too at the Sri
Lanka Schools Athletic Championships and repeated his success in javelin
at the National Schools Athletics Meet the same year.
Came 2010, he was very much attached to javelin event and won at the
Junior Nationals and one year later - that's 2011, saw Chalanaka
establishing a record in the javelin event with a distance of 64.10
metres at the Junior Nationals.
However, Chalanaka Weerasingha is caught up in a tangle,not knowing
which sports he is to pursue for the future athletics or cricket? At
cricket, he has been picked to follow specialised training to become a
fast bowler and coaches Anusha Samaranayake and Prabath Nissanka are in
a quandary as to which sports Chalanaka Weerasinghe going to pursue.
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