Sri Lanka sends 21 for Commonwealth Youth Games

By Leslie FERNANDO

C. Y. Games the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka has decided to send a 21- member Sri Lankan squad to participate at the 3rd Commonwealth Youth Games to be staged in Pune, India from October 12 to 19.

Sri Lanka will participate in seven of the nine discipliners with the participation of competitors from 72 countries. Our contingent will participate in athletics, swimming, badminton, boxing, table tennis, tenis and weight lifting. The other two disciplines are shooting and wrestling.

Accordingly, 8 athletes, 3 swimmers and 2 players each for badminton, boxing, table tennis, tennis and weight lifting will be the order for Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan squad will leave on October 9. Rajeev Wijetunge, member of NOC and President Sri Lanka Table Tennis Association will be the chef-de-mission.

Heshan Unamboowe of Trinity College swimmer, who has represented Sri Lanka at a number of international meets and won several gold medals for the country, will be the overall captain of the Sri Lankan contingent. Incidentally this is the first time a commonwealth Youth Games will be held in Asia and South Asian region. The inaugural games was staged in England in 2000 and the second games was held in Australia in 2004.

The following will represent Sri Lanka in the following disciplines:

Athletics: Shehan Ambepitiya, D. M. Navaratne, Eranga Silva, Keith de Mel, Roshan Chamara Silva, Ishani Edirisinghe, Ranil Jayawardena, Roshan Sameera Peiris.

Swimming: Heshan Unamboowe, Andrew Abeysinghe, Mineka Karunaratne Badminton: N. Kanthi Wijetunge, Avani Rathnasiri.

Boxing: W. S. K. Fernando, A. D. M. Anuranga.

Tennis Ambritha Muttiah, Chathimi Jayawickrema,

Table Tennis: Buddhika Walagampala, Shanaka Ganegoda.

Weight lifting: S. Liyanarachci, S. M. Bandara.