- Athlete who made waves in Ranchi in 2025 forced to cool her heels
- SLA officials unavailable for comment
Sri Lankan sprinter Fathima Shafiya Yamick who won gold medals for her country at the South Asian Athletics Championships in Ranchi, India last year had reportedly berated athletics officials for having sidelined her for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Yamick, 27, who clinched gold in the Women’s 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events in 2025 had been left out of the 156-member Sri Lankan contingent which flew out to Japan last week.
The talented sprinter who hails from the Central Province and who has been promoted to the rank of Corporal by the SL Army since her historic triple achievement in Ranchi, had reportedly given a piece of her mind to officials of Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA), for having overlooked her for the said Games.
A 154-strong Sri Lankan contingent is already in Japan for the 20th Asian Games with the track and field events scheduled to commence from Thursday (24) and according to athletics analysts Yamick would be among the notable absentees from the island nation.
Informed sources claimed that an irate Shafiya Yamick had allegedly castigated SLA officials for having deceived having assured her of being included in the local contingent and then failing to honour their word at the last moment.
The 24-member Sri Lankan athletics team to the Asian Games is made up of 17-male and seven female athletes and their best bet for medal prospects lie in track and field meets as well as with the T20I Women’s team.
Yamick-an old girl from Viharamahadevi Girls School, Kandy had clocked 11.53 seconds in the 100m, 23.58 seconds in the 200m, and she also anchored the relay team to a 44.70-second finish-during the 2025 South Asian Athletics Championships in India.
It was hailed as one of the most outstanding individual performances by a Sri Lankan athlete at the regional meet at the time, with the sprinter establishing records at each of those events.
However, almost a year since her landmark wins in Ranchi, she unfortunately finds herself being forced to cool her heels at home when the athletics events kick off at the Asian Games later this week.
Efforts made to contact the Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) President Bimal Wijayasingha for his views on the non–selection of the sprinter concerned for the Asian Games drew a blank.
World’s number one ranked men’s javelin thrower and Sri Lanka sensation Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, was appointed as the overall team captain for the 20th 2026 Asian Games in Aich–Nagoya, Japan.
Modern pentathlete Isiwaruna de Silva along with artistic gymnast Nuyara Fernando were named as Sri Lanka’s flagbearers to lead its contingent at its opening ceremony recently.