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Tuesday, 26 September 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Hishan Welmilla in Ashgabat
Sri Lankans were betting on gaining medals in wrestling, chess and weightlifting on the ninth day of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games currently underway in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Shamika Maudushani was the first Sri Lankan athlete to compete in the day. She confronted Vietnam’s Thi Hang VU in the women’s 53 kg category and was unlucky to be beaten 5-0.
The last contender from the Sri Lankan camp in wrestling was the silver medallist at the 2016 South Asian Games Deepika Kumari. She competed in the women’s 58 kg freestyle category and faced Marina Sedneva from Kazakhstan. It was a one-way battle for the Kazakhstan lass as she won the game 2-0.
In Chess, Sri Lanka took part in the men’s rapid team event and women’s rapid team in the Under-23 segments at the chess arena.
Sri Lanka met the Philippines and India in the men’s rapid team event earlier in the day. Rajendra Katugampola and Romesh Weerawardena represented Sri Lanka in the team game against the Philippines. The Sri Lankan players managed to draw 1-1. Rajendra Katugampitiya won the game against the Philippines’ John Paul but Romesh Weerawardane could not beat his Filipino opponent Eugenio Toree. In the second game against the Indian team Rajendra Katugampitiya managed to draw the game against Narayan Gopal but Romesh Weerawardane was again unlucky and was beaten by Surya Shekhar Ganguly and the Indians took the game (1.5-0,5). At the time of this article going to press, the next dream game scheduled for the Lankans came against Kyrgyzstan.
In the women’s rapid team Under-23 event, Dasuni Hansika and Zainab Saumy teamed up against Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates in the early hours of the day. They lost the two games against Uzbekistan as Saumy and Hansika were beaten by Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova and Sarvinoz Kurbonboeva respectively.
Then Saumy and Hansika met the UAE’s Wadima Humaid and Wafia Darwish. Hansika was able to draw the game and earn 0.5 points but lost the team game as Zainab could not beat the opponent (1.5-0, 5). Sri Lanka is set to meet Indonesia in another team game in the women’s rapid team Under-23 event.
The Sri Lankan chess team will now only have one event left in the competition, which will end on 27 September, with another grand closing ceremony. The Sri Lanka chess team will be in action in the men’s blitz team event and women’s blitz team event where Rajendra Katugampola and Romesh Weerawardena will represent the men’s team while Dasuni Hansika and Zainab Saumy will represent the women’s team.
Sri Lankan national record-holder Ushan Charuka competed in the men’s weightlifting over 105 kg category later in the day at the indoor weightlifting arena.
