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| Sunday, 30 June 2002 |
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Sri Lanka's best hopes in athletics at Commonwealth Games by LAL GUNESEKERA Sri Lanka's 80-member contingent comprising 57 competitors and 23 officials for the 17th Commonwealth Games to be staged in Manchester, England from July 25 to August 4 are scheduled to leave the island on an Emirates flight on July 22. However, the seven rifle shooters and two officials are to take 'wing' to Manchester on July 15. Sri Lanka are to take part in 10 disciplines. They are - Athletics (15 competitors and three officials), Netball (12 players and three officials), Boxing (four pugilists and two officials), Weight Lifting (one competitor and one official), Gymnastics (one gymnast and one official), Badminton (two shuttlers and one official), Squash (two players), Rifle Shooting (seven marksmen and two officials), Swimming (one swimmer and one official) and Rugby (12 players and three officials). A spokesman for the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Sri Lanka told the Sunday Observer that Deva Henry who is a senior Vice-President of the NOC will be the chef-de-mission of the Sri Lanka contingent, while Dialog GSM are the sponsors. The overall captain of the Sri Lanka contingent has not yet been named, while five medical personnel and eight media representatives too will be at the Commonwealth Games. Sri Lanka's main hopes lie in its athletes who are at present undergoing training in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Bangkok, Thailand not only for the Commonwealth Games, but also for the 14th Asian Championship to be staged at the Sugathadasa Stadium in August. The Asiad also serves as a trial to pick the Asian team for the World Cup to be staged in Spain later this year (September). All athletes now in training overseas are scheduled to arrive in Colombo before the middle of next month (July). The competitors and officials approved by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Johnston Fernando, so far are: Athletics (men) - Sugath Tillekeratne, Sumedha Fernando, Nilantha Aludeniya, Ranga Wimalawansa, Sudath Ravindra Kumara, Rohan Pradeep Kumara, Pradeep Sampath Amarasekera, J. A. M. K. Jayasundera, (women) - Susanthika Jayasinghe, Damayanthi Darsha, Sriyani Kulawansa Fonseka, Pradeepa Herath, Anoma Sooriaaratchi, Nimmi de Soysa, Nayanthi Kumari Chandrasena, (officials) Captain Shermal Fernando (manager), Sunil Gunawardene (coach), Lakshman de Alwis (coach); Badminton (men) - Niluka Karunaratne, (women) - Chandrika de Silva, (official) - Priyantha Wijesekera; Boxing - Chandimal Nayanajith Alexander, Manjula Wanniaaratchi, R. M. A. B. Ratnayake, N. B. Walisundera, (officials) - U. A. T. Sumanapala, J. A. Amunugama; Gymnastics - Prasad Sameera Ekanayake, (Official) - Aruna Prasad; Swimming - Condrad Francis, (official) - Nehru Nanayakkara; Squash - Saman Tillekeratne, Navin Samarasinghe; Medical team - Dr. Geethanjana Mendis, Dr. S. Jayawickrema, Nunal Jayaratne, Deepalal Priyadarshana, Amith Dhammika; chef-de-mission - Deva Henry. Rugby, Netball, Rifle Shooting and Weight Lifting participants and officials have yet to be released by the NOC. |
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