• World Athletics C’ships, SAG take top billing

Sri Lankan athletes will have a heavy workload to grapple with by way of both domestic and global competitions in 2025, according to the athletics calendar that has been released by Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA).

The athletics calendar formulated by the sport’s local controlling body shows local athletes will have no less than 11 major international events to compete in, inclusive of the World Athletics Championships to be staged in Tokyo, Japan from 13-21 September next year.

Ahead of the showpiece event in Japan, the country’s elite athletes will also have to prepare for the South Asian Senior Athletics Championships, which is slated to be held on 5 and 6 April next year in Ranchi, India.

Furthermore, the country’s athletes will have to contend with two other significant events lined up – the World Athletics Indoor Championships from 21-23 March 2025 in Nanjing, China as well the World Athletics Relay Championships from 10-11 May 2025 in Guangzhou, China.

Two more events have also been included in the 2025 calendar and one of them is the Asian Youth Games, which is due in September next year, and the much-anticipated South Asian Games (SAG), which are scheduled to be conducted in Lahore, Pakistan in February 2025.

Another key stop for the local athletes as per next year’s calendar will be the Asian Marathon Championships, which is set to begin on 23 March 2025 in Pattaya, Thailand.

Among the international meets that await the participation of Sri Lankan athletes are the Australian Open, Chinese Taipei Open, Hungarian Grand Prix, and Indian Grand Prix Series 1-4.

Meanwhile, the sport’s domestic governing body has also organised a few local events for athletes and a significant meet will be the 103rd National Athletic Championship, set to be worked off from 1-3 August 2025 at the Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo. It will also double as the final selection trial ahead of the SAG. 

(JK)