Sameera wins 90km cycle race in close finish

CYCLING: The Sabaragamuwa All Island Cycle Racing Cavalcade organised by the District Cycling Association and the Veterans Cycling Association of Sri Lanka turned out to be really interesting.

Cycling fans held a whale of a time with close finishes being seen by the participants. For the Open Racing event for men over a distance of 90 kms there were around 80 competitors from various parts of the island and Sameera Chathuranga of Sri Lanka Army won in 2 hours 22 minutes and 10 seconds. Nidusha Nirantha also of the Army and A.M. Janak Samaraweera of Ratnapura too recorded the same time as the winner.

Men 90 km (Open): 1. Sameera Chathuranga (SL Army) 2 hours 22 mins 10 secs; 2. Nidusha Nirantha (SL Army) 2 hours 22 mins 10 secs; 3. A.M. Samaraweera (Ratnapura) 2 hours 22 mins 10 secs; 4. Udaya Kumara 2 hours 24 mins 48 secs; 5. Suranga Priyadarshana 2 hours 24 mins 52 secs; 6. P.M.N. Fernando 2 hours 24 mins 52 secs; 7. Wasantha Harischandra 2 hours 24 mins 52 secs; 8. M. Sajith Asanka 2 hours 24 mins 52 secs; 9. Thilina 2 hours 24 mins 52 secs; 10. Suwarsi Premachandra 2 hours 24 mins 52 secs.

Women (Open) 34 kms: 1. Ayesha Sumanaweera (Ratnapura) 47 mins 28 secs; 2. Dilukshi Sumanaweera (Ratnapura) 47 mins 28 secs; 3. Niluka Shamal (DMMC) 51 mins 1.34 secs; 4. Kanchana Lakmali (Unattached) 51 mins 1.34 secs.

Masters over 50 years (34 kms): 1. Jayalath (Ambalangoda) 45 mins 22 secs; 2. G. Costa (Rajagiriya) 45 mins 23 secs; 3. P. Anthony Symons (Ratnapura) 46 mins 00.00 secs.

Soccer match between Ratnapura team and Kurunegala Belcans ended in the Ratnapura gaining victory by 3 goals to nil. Angampora exhibition show between Ratnapura with the National fighters turned out to be interesting as it was held for the first time in Ratnapura led by ancestral link for Angampora from Sabaragamuwa maestro Raja Dharmaratna. Ratnapura police under DIG Upali Kumarasiri did a good job with crowd control.