As many of her medal prospects have already bitten the dust in Indonesia, Sri Lanka will look to their track and field athletes to break the jinx and bring medals to the country as the 18^th Asian Games’ athletics are to begin on Saturday, August 25. Sri Lanka’s possible medal prospects in athletics: Janaka Prasad Wimalasiri - Men’s Long Jump: Long jumper Janaka Prasad Wimalasiri is participating in his second Asian Games and will compete in the qualifying rounds on Saturday. Wimalasiri’s personal best is 8.14m, achieved at the National Athletics Championships this month. He was ranked 5^th in Asia for his jump of 8.10m last May. Aruna Dharshana, Pasindu Kodikara, Kalinga Kumara, Ajith Premakumara and Dilip Ruwan - Men’s 4x400m Relay – With an aggregate timing of 3:7.16 seconds, recorded at the last National Championships, and the significant contribution made by Aruna Dharshana, who is fresh from a Junior Asian Athletics 400m record of 45.79 seconds, Sri Lanka has a chance of a medal in this gruelling relay event. Sri Lanka’s 4x400m team comprises Dharshana, Pasindu Kodikara, Kalinga Kumara, Ajith Premakumara and former national champion Dilip Ruwan. Yet the Lankans have to do exceptionally well for a podium finish. It's ever green in the memory on how Sri Lanka's Rohan Pradeep Kumara, Prasanna Amarasekara, Asoka Jayasundara and Rohitha Pushpakumara won the country a bronze medal, with a timing of 3:06.97, in men's 4x400m at the 15^th Asian Games, held in Doha in 2006. Aruna Dharshana and Kalinga Kumara - Men’s Individual 400m – Aruna Dharshana, with his record timing of 45.79 seconds at the Junior Asian Athletics Championships, surely stands a chance to make this Indonesian edition of Asian Games, one to remember. Yet Kalinga Kumara will need to better his personal best if he is to make a mark in this Asiad. Indunil Herath – Men’s 800m – Indunil Herath is the current Sri Lankan record-holder for men’s 800m with 1:47.13 seconds, set only last June. He’ll need to improve that, though, if he is to stand a chance in Indonesia this time. Nimali Liyanarachchi and Gayanthika Abeyratne – Women’s 800m – Nimali Liyanarachchi and Gayanthika Abeyratne, country’s leading female middle-distance runners, won gold and silver respectively at last year’s Asian Athletics Championship.  Yet they still need to improve on their personal bests if they're to go for a medal in Indonesia. National record-holder Abeyratne’s best is 2:02.55 secs. and Liyanarachchi has 2:02.58 secs. Yet they’d have in mind that the top Asians are mini seconds faster than them in this event, and such a difference counts a lot in the Games! Blunder that caused possible medal? Ushan Thivanka, the leading high jumper with an impressive distance of 2.24m, and the mixed-relay team for 4x400m were all medal prospects, but one thought so only until they missed the plane for the Jakarta trip in time, owing to a technical failure of some authorities at the National Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sports. SRI LANKA ATHLETIC TEAM FOR ASIAN GAMES 2018 Men’s: Aruna Dharshana (400m, 4x400m) Kalinga Kumara (400m, 4x400m) Pasindu Kodikara (4x400m) Ajith Premakumara (4x400m) Dilip Ruwan (4x400m) Indunil Herath (800m) Janaka Prasad Wimalasiri (long jump) Women’s: Rimeshika Ratnayake (200m) Nimali Liyanarachchi (800m) Gayanthika Abeyratne (800m) Nilani Ratnayake (3,000m steeplechase) Hiruni Wijeratne (10,000m).   * The above combo-picture shows (from left to right) Janaka Wimalasiri, Aruna Dharshana, Nimali Liyanarachchi and Gayanthika Abeyratne