• Multiple young athletes set records at trials 

Sri Lanka is set to be represented by over 10 athletes during the forthcoming sixth Asian Youth Under 18 Athletics Championships 2025, sources from Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) reveal.

The championship is slated to be held in Dammam, Saudi Arabia from 15-18 April. According to SLA sources, over 30 talented athletes have already been shortlisted for the meet following the first selection trial conducted in Diyagama over the past weekend.

During the selection trials, Olympian Sumedha Ranasinghe (men’s javelin) produced an effort of 82.56 m. This feat has been registered as the best by an athlete in an international event thus far this year.

The previous best performance for the current season was notched up by Italian Giovanni Frattini, who had thrown his javelin over a distance of 75.85m.

Besides Ranasinghe, the Army’s Rasara Wijesuriya also bettered the Sri Lankan record in the women’s 10,000 m race, which had stood since 2018 at the selection trials. She had ended the race in 33 minutes and 39.60 seconds, eclipsing the previous mark of 33:55.06 recorded by Hiruni Wijayaratne in the US.

Furthermore, schoolboy prodigy Shavindu Avishka of Dhammissara National School established a new national Under 18 record in the 1,500 m event with a performance of 3:58.24. Lahiru Achintha of St. Aloysius’ College, Ratnapura also bested the previous record with a time of 3:59.24. The previous record was 4:00.14.

Budding and promising athlete Lesandu Arthavidu also equalled the Sri Lanka Under 20 high jump record with a performance of 2.18 m, while the earlier record, set 23 years ago, had stood to the credit of Manjula Wijesekara.