Rasika steals the limelight

Yasaratna GAMAGE reporting from Embilipitiya

Rasika Priyadarshani of Walawa (Embilipitiya) gave the home fans something to cheer when she finished first in the women's javelin, put shot and also secured the second place in the discus throw on a no record field on the first day of the 26th Mahaweli Games which commenced yesterday at the Mahaweli Grounds in Embilipitiya.

There were no records set up on the opening day while 16 men's and women's finals were worked off in the hot sun where the athletes had to sweat more than they expected.

At the end of the first day 'B' Zone secured the first place with 80 points in both men and women categories while Walawa zone got into the second place with 71 points. Victoria-Kotmale Zone finished third. There will be tough battle among the zones on the second day today.

The former national kabbadi captain N.H. Wimal Rohana and the 4th Inter-Religious Sports Festival (2007, Asan, South Korea) gold medallist Gayanthika Thushari of Walawa Zone lit the Olympic torch. It was a colourful commencement to the 26th Mahaweli Games when boys and girls of Mahaweli areas performed several cultural dances with traditional songs and the Mahaweli Theme song.

Team events

Team events, including men's and women's Kabbadi, elle, cricket and men's and women's marathon, men's 10,000 metres, women's 5,000 metres had been worked off in several venues earlier. Victoria-Rantambe won the team championships in both men's and women's marathons. 'B' Zone and 'H' Zone came runners up and third place in the men's marathon while Rambakenoya and 'C' Zone were awarded women's runners-up and the third place.

Results, long distance:

Men's 10,000 metres: 1. A. Kasun Tharanga (Walawa) 33.00:3 minutes, 2. S.M. Bandula Kumara Herath ('H') 33.06:4 minutes, 3. R.B. Ajith Kumarasinghe (Rambakenoya).

Women's 5,000 metres: 1. Welu Krishanthi (Victoria-Kotmale) 18.33:8 minutes, 2. A.A.G. Shashikala Sewwandi (Walawa) 19.21:9 minutes, 3. H.K.I.T. Udaya Kumari (Walawa) 19.43:3 minutes.

Results of team events (winner, runners-up, third place:

[Men's ]

Cricket: 1. Victoria-Kotmale, 2. Walawa Zone, 3. 'L' Zone.
Kabbadi: 1. 'C' Zone, 2. Walawa Zone, 3. 'H' Zone.
Elle: 1. 'H' Zone, 2. Walawa Zone, 3. 'B' Zone.
Volleyball: 1. 'H' Zone, 2. 'B' Zone, 3. 'C' Zone.

[Women's]

Kabbadi: 1. Walawa Zone, 2. 'H' Zone, 3. Victoria-Kotmale.
Elle: 1. 'H' Zone, 2. Moragahakanda, 3. 'B' Zone.
Cricket: 1. 'H' Zone, 2. 'B' Zone, 3. Walawa Zone

Results of the marathons:

Men's: 1. Sujith Kamal Kumara Ratnayake (B) 2.28:5 hours, 2. R.M.C.P. Ratnayake (Victoria-Kotmale) 2.28:6 hours, 3. K.P.G. Chandana Kumara (Victoria-Kotmale) 2.29:3 hours.

Women's: 1. V. Krishanthi (Victoria-Kotmale) 58.18:2 minutes, 2. K. Krishna Kumari (Victoria-Kotmale) 59.39:7 minutes, 3. R.B.S. Dinusha (Rambakenoya) 1.00:2 hours.

Results of the first day finals:

[Men's events]

1,500 mteres: 1. Kamal Thilakaratne (Victoria-Kotmale) 4.09.3 seconds, 2. A. Kasun Tharanga (Walawa) 4.10.2 seconds, 3. M.A. Rasika Prasad (Huruluwewa) 4.14.3 seconds.

Put shot: 1. A.V. Deshapriya (Huruluwewa) 12.01 metres, 2. R.M. Sanjeewa Chaturanga (B) 11.95 metres, 3. G.S. Lekhamge (Victoria-Kotmale) 11.48 metres.

Long jump: 1. G.R. Akila Indrachapa (B) 6.80 metres, 2. N.G. Asanka Sandaruwan (H) 6.74 metres, 3. K.G. Amila Suranjith (L) 6.55 metres.

Discus throw: 1. A.B. Deshapriya (Huruluwewa) 37.08 metres, 2. A.M.A.S. Bandara (Victoria-Kotmale) 36.34 metres, 3. J.R. Dimuthu Kumara (Walawa) 36.15 metres.

Javelin throw: 1. D.S. Ranasinghe (Walawa) 62.65 metres, 2. Sumedha Jagath Ranasinghe (Victoria-Kotmale) 57.51 metres, 3. B.N. Indika Prasad Weerasinghe (H) 52.38 metres.

Triple jump: 1. G.R. Akila Indrachapa (B) 14.52 metres, 2. G.G.S.T. Senaviratne (Victoria-Kotmale) 14.01, 3. K.G. Amila Suranjith (L) 13.69 metres.

400 metres: 1. S. Shalibdeen (Victoria-Kotmale) 49.8 seconds, 2. Dasun Silva (Victoria-Kotmale) 50.1 seconds, 3. W.N.G.S.K. Welagedara (B) 50.9 seconds

200 metres: 1. Dasun de Silva (Victoriya-Kotmale) 22.1 seconds, 2. J.A. N. Proboda Jayatilake (B) 22.3 seconds, 3. M.P.B. Rupasinghe (H) 22.5 seconds.

[Women's events]

1,500 metres: 1. Nadeesha Ramanayake (Walawa) 5.005 minutes, 2. B.G.D.K. Ekanayake (Victoria-Kotmale) 5.01.2 minutes, 3. Welu Krishanthi (Victoria-Kotmale) 5.02:2 minutes.

Discus throw: 1. J Iresha Sandamali (B) 35.55 metres, 2. W.D.M. Rasika Priyadarshani (Walawa) 33.16 metres, 3. W.A. Dilini Weeraratne (H) 31.48 metres.

Put shot: 1. W.D.M. Rasika Priyadarshani (Walawa) 9.75 metres, 2. W.A. Dilani Weeraratne (H) 9.31 metres, 3. I.M. Iresha Sandamali (B) 9.23 metres.

High jump: 1. R.G.G. Wasana Prabodani (Victoria-Kotmale) 1.60 metres, 2. Dilhani Kulathunga (B) 1.50 metres, 4. M. Saumya Madushani (B) 1.50 metres, 400 metres: 1. W.A. Ishara Madushani (B) 59.2 seconds, 2. N.D.G. Niroshika Lakmali (B) 59.3 seconds, 3. D.D. Vishadi Senaviratne (Walawa) 1.01:9 minutes.

200 metres: 1. H.G. Indika Srimali (Walawa) 26.3 seconds, 2. N.D.G. Niroshika Upamali (B) 26.9 seconds, 3. W.M.A. Shanika Wijesooriya (H) 27.5 seconds.

Triple jump: 1. R.G. Shanika Kumari Mahanama (B) 10.41 metres, 2. W.M. Kalpathi Thakshila (Medirigiriya) 10.40 metres, 3. M.G. Iresha Srimali (H) 10.30 metres.

Javelin throw: 1. W.D.N. Rasika Priyadarshani (Walawa) 32.46 metres, 2. M.K. Shashika Dilhani (B) 32.10 metres, 3. H.A. Asha Nimanthi Gamage (L) 29.70 metres.