Eshan and Rumeshika the fastest

The Sri Lankan duo of Himasha Eshan and Rumeshika Ratnayake became South Asia's fastest man and woman when they won the 100 metres gold medal at the South Asian Games which comes to an end today in India.

Twenty-year old Eshan timed 10.26 seconds to win the gold and in the process bettered a record set by Chinthaka de Zoysa which stood at 10.29 seconds set in 1999.

The former Kalutara Vidyalaya schoolboy Himasha shattered the South Asian Games record of 10.37 seconds run by India's Anil Kumar set in 1999 in Katmandu, Nepal then known as the South Asian Federation Games. Himasha predicted that he will win two gold medals in his pet event the 100 metres and 4x100m relay.

"As I have been practicing with my coach Chaminda Perera for quite a long time I am pretty sure to win two gold medals in the events which I take part in, the 100 metres and 4x100," Himasha said prior to the Games. Rumeshika Ratnayake clocked 11.60 seconds to become the fastest woman in South Asia, home to 1.7 billion people. Ratnayake is a product of St Joseph's College Kegalle and is coached by D Nandawathie.