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| Sunday, 2 May 2004 |
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Personality plus : Determination, determination, and determination By Farah Macan Markar
In the 1999 SAF Games held in Katmandu, Nepal 21 year old Anne Maheshi Priyangika Silva won the silver medal in Javelin. Five years down the lane, in the 2004 Games held recently in Islamabad, Pakistan she clinched the gold, at a distance of 51.37 M. The National Record Holder in Women's Javelin at a distance of 54.56 M Maheshi has represented Sri Lanka in a number of International Meets, winning the gold medals in the 2001 Pakistan Open Championships and the Thailand Open Championships as well as the bronze medal in the 2003 Asian Championships held in the Philippines. Maheshi also participated in the Asian Games 2002 held in Korea as well as the World Military Games 2003 held in Italy in which she represented the Sri Lanka Navy, whose sports pool she joined in 1999. Born on November 15th, 1978, Maheshi was a mischievous and energetic child who always had a passion for anything she needed to be active. At the age of 14 she began playing Volleyball, Cricket and Track Events in the "Eleven Star Sport's Club" Seeduwa, her hometown. Studying in a school near her home, she did Long Jump and Putt upto her O's. Going to Holy Cross College, Gampaha for her A's in which she did Sinhala, Econ, Political Science and Geography, she continued with her Long Jump and first embarked onto the Javelin.
In 1996 Maheshi took part in the National Heptathlon, an all island sports event in which each athlete takes part in seven different events, from which an Overall Champion is chosen in the end. Doing Long Jump, Putt Shot, Javelin, High Jump, 200 M, 800 M and 100 M Hurdles Maheshi clinched the sought for title. She also participated in the event in 1997. It was during this time Maheshi got into full time Javelin. "I had a special knack for Javelin. My school coach I.D.Premasiri seeing my potential put me onto the National Coach S.M.G.Bandara. It was then that I really got into the sport" she says. Training with "Bandara Sir" and thereafter H.M.Thiyagaraga, Maheshi finally began training or rather practising Javelin with her co-partner in Men's Javelin Pradeep Nishantha, the Men's Javelin National Record Holder. About the sport's place in Sri Lanka, Maheshi says it is not given the due recognition it should get. "When one talks of Athletics one instantly thinks of the 100 M, 200 M etc. The attention focused on Throws is little or none at all when compared to the attention lavished on Running Events and Relays". Maheshi feels this to be a discrimination as Javelin is a form of Athletics. Athletics being divided into two categories, Track Events and Field Events, while the former deals with sports such as Running and Hurdles, the latter deals with the events such as the Putt, Disc and Javelin. "Javelin is an athletic event. While it may not be a high adrenaline rushing sport, it is not as easy as it looks. It requires great skill, shoulder strength, speed and balance" says Maheshi. The most important part for a Javelin Thrower is getting the correct technique. "A perfectly techniqued throw goes a long way" says Maheshi. Thus constant training is important for as they say, practice makes perfect. In correct technique the Javelin is held on shoulder level from the run up to its releasing. As all the strength in the body is used when releasing, it is necessary to have a strong and well built shoulder. Maheshi trains five times a week from Monday to Friday from 4.00 PM-6.00 PM. Starting with a run round the grounds and her warm up exercises, she proceeds on to 3 step throws, 5 step throws and finally on to full run up throws. To strengthen her shoulder muscles she does weights on Tuesdays and Thursdays and to relax them goes for massages thrice a week. With three elder sisters, of whom one was at a time into sports, Maheshi's sporting energy comes from her father who used to play Volleyball and Elle. Presently studying a 3 year IT Degree at the British Council Computer Society, her hobbies are reading, playing with little children and SMSing her friends. Society comprising a rich variety of people and personalities Maheshi believes it to be important to keep an open ear, or rather mind to what other people have to say, for sometimes they may have useful advice. Her philosophy on life as in sports is "You should have a goal for yourself, stay focused and work towards it. Obstacles will come but don't get discouraged and never give up. Give yourself some time and if you look keenly you will find a way through the obstacles. The most important tool in life is Determination". |
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