27 days more for SA Games to start:

Under-21 Twenty20 cricket will feature at Games

SOUTH ASIAN GAMES: There are 27 days more for the 11th South Asian Games that will be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 29 to February 8.

The Organising Committee of the 11th South Asian Games and South Asian Olympic Council have decided to hold an under-21 Twenty20 cricket tournament for the first time. Countries like Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal are gearing up to pose a challenge to establish cricket nations like Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka team that featured in the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia in 2008, will play in the SAG tournament, said Bandula Dahanayake, Director General of Sports.

Sri Lanka team will be represented by Naveen Kavikara, Vimanga Perera, Iresh Udayanga, M. Mazahir, Kusal Perera, Dilshan Munaweera, Angelo Perera, Chathuranga Silva, Ishan Jayaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Ashan Priyanjana, Sachith Pathirana, Dinesh Chandimal, Thishara Perera and Hasitha Ilangaratne.

Invitation for SAG

Bangladesh High Commissioner, Mahbub Uzzaman presented the officially invitation for the 11th South Asian Games (SAG) to Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge.

As a memento, the Sports Minister then presented the book 'Sri Lanka Proud, Tribute to Champions' to the High Commissioner. Bandula Dahanayake, Director General of Sports, too was present.

Handball newly introduced discipline to the 11th SAG is a sport which can be made popular, said Ms. Padma Beddewela, Sports Ministry Co-ordinator. The Indian expert Atanu Mazumdar arrived in the island to train our players.

The 25-member pool will train for three weeks at Diyatalawa Military Academy. According to officials, the number will be reduced to 14 and the handball team will have seven members. The players have been drawn from Army, Navy and Prisons Department. The Assistant Coach Senarath Senanayake and Manager Gihan Dalpathadu have already joined the team's training.

Archery team

The eight-member archery team of four men and four women for SAG fared well at the 10th National Archery Championships held at the Sugathadasa Stadium recently. National coach Nishantha Chandrasinghe said that the Sri Lanka team will take part in individual and team events at the SAG. For Archery, the physical input is 20% and the mental input is 80% So competitors' mental well-being is very important, said Chandrasinghe.

The team - men: Nipun Sangeeth Seneviratne, Jagath Weerathunga, Samantha Rajapakse, Rajeeva Wickramasinghe.

Women - Dilhara Salgadu, Y.M. Mallika, Dudili Silva, Shashikala Kumarasinghe.

Badminton team experienced

The Sri Lanka badminton team is an experienced one with the players gaining foreign trips experience having been on many. Even now some of the players are training abroad. At the 10th Colombo SAG, Sri Lanka won 5 medals. The team for the 11th SAG.

Men: Niluka Karunaratne, Dinuka Karunaratne, Nuwan Hettiarachchi, Diluka Karunaratne, R.S. Dahanayake, Hasitha Chanaka.

Women: Thilini Jayasinghe, Chandrika de Silva, Achini Ratnasiri, Lekha Shehani, Upuli Samanthika Weerasinghe, Nadeesha Gayathri.

7th SAF Games in Tamil Nadu

From 1987 Calcutta, the South Asian Federation Games (earlier named) came to Madras in 1995. The Tamil Nadu capital hosted the 7th SAF Games from December 18 to 27, 1985. For the first time ever, India increased its gold tally over hundred. They bagged a total of 106 gold medals, 60 silver and 19 bronze to be the proud hosts with Sri Lanka finishing second with just 16 gold medals.

India won 21 athletic gold medals while Sri Lanka secured 11. Bahadur Prasad of India (1,500 metres and 5,000 metres) and Mahesh Perera (110 metres, 400 metres hurdles) won a double each in men's athletic events. Among the women, Sri Lanka's Susanthika Jayasinghe 11.34 seconds in 100 metres and 22.95 secs in 200 metres) and India's Shiny Wilson (55m 12 secs in 400 metres and 1m 59.85 secs in 800 metres) won a double each.

The other Sri Lankans to win gold in athletics were Chinthaka de Soyza 100 metres - 10.49 secs, Sugath Tillekeratne 400 metres 46.12 secs, Benildus Fernando long jump 7.69 metres, men's 4 x 400 metres relay 3 m 07.57 secs, Nilmini Sujeewa 10,000 metres - 35m 42.74 secs, Sriyani Kulawansa 100 metres hurdles 13.34 secs.

India won team sport gold medals in basketball, soccer, hockey, kabbadi and volleyball (both men's and women's).

In men's shooting, India won 15 of the 20 finals while Bangladesh bagged gold medals in the remaining five events. But the honours were shared in women's shooting with India and Sri Lanka on equal terms five golds and five silver medals each. The gold medal winners for Sri Lanka were - P.I. Ramanayake (50m Small Bore Standard Rifle 3 position - individual), 50m Small Bore Standard Rifle prone (team event), P.I. Ramanayake (10m Air Rifle - individual) 10m Air Rifle (team event), Soma Kumarasinghe (25m Sport Pistol - Individual).

It was India all the way in swimming. The Indians totally dominated the swimming and won 15 of the 16 finals. India also won all seven gold medals presented in table tennis as well as all seven tennis titles.

Countrywise medals summary

India came in first with 106 gold, 60 silver and 19 bronze to total 185, Sri Lanka took second position 16 gold, 25 silver, 53 bronze (94), in third place was Pakistan 10 gold, 33 silver, 36 bronze (79), Bangladesh fourth with 7 gold, 17 silver, 34 bronze (58), Nepal fifth 4 gold, 8 silver, 16 bronze (28), followed by Bhutan 2 bronze and Maldives one silver.

Bandula Dahanayake, Director-General of Sports said that the overall captain of the Sri Lanka contingent will be named by the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka together with the National Sports Council.

According to reliable sources it will be either Olympic swimmer Conrad Francis or Asian Athletic Championships gold medal winner in high jump Manjula Kumara who will lead the side.

(More on other games next week.)