NOCSL celebrates Hangzhou heroic accomplishments at Asian Games 2023

The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka yesterday celebrated and recognised the victorious Lankan athletes who brought honour to the motherland at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.

The Lankan athletes ended up in the 26th position out of 45 Asian countries and territories, with a total of five medals; a gold, two silver and two bronze to their credit. The medal winners as follows.

1. Tharushi Karunarathna: Gold Medal-Women’s 800m Final – 2 minutes. 03.20 secs

2. Women’s Relay Team (Nadeesha Ramanayaka, Jayeshi Uththara, Sayuri Mendis and Tharushi Karunarathna): Bronze Medal-Women’s 4*400m Relay Final – 3 minutes. 30.88 secs.

3. Men’s Relay Team (Aruna Dharshana, Kaushika Keshan, Rajitha Rajakaruna and Kalinga Kumarage): Bronze Medal-Men’s 4*400m Relay Final - 3minutes. 02.55secs

4. Nadeesha Dilhani Lekamge: Silver Medal-Women’s Javelin Throw - 61.57m (New Personal Best)

5. Women’s Cricket Team (Captain - Chamari Athapatthu, Vice-Captain - Oshadhi Ranasinghe): Silver Medal-Women’s Cricket Final-SL vs IND - SL lost by 19 runs

 Speaking at the felicitation ceremony, National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka Secretary General Maxwell de Silva said, “An Asian medal after 2014 and athletic medals after 2006 augurs a new lease of life to Lankan athletes and its future. We saw this upstage of performances at the humongous stage like the Asian Games and that was a culmination of the Lankan athletic contingent believing in themselves and usurping each other’s strengths to showcase that they too belong to the real big stage. The medal doors were opened by the women’s cricketers who jumped one scale higher and brought home a silver over the bronze that they won in 2014 in Incheon.”

The Lankan track took a different turn; the Lankan athletes were upbeat. Then they faced the mixed relay conundrum that turned silver into oblivion, but that setback also gave more strength to change the status quo. This was proved true when Javelin thrower Dilhani Lekamge took the camp by surprise when she completed her personal best with a throw of 61.57m to take the silver.

This followed the triple medal day where Tharushi won the women’s 800m gold followed by women’s and men’s relay team winning 400m bronze medals culminating one of the most joyous days in Lankan athletic history.

Taking a bow to Chef-de-mission in Hangzhou Nishanthe Piyasena who lead the logistical aspects besides leading the contingent, Professor Chathuranga Ranasinghe who kept the close tab of the medical needs of the athletes, said that they too played a huge role in Lankan team’s impressive accomplishments.

De Silva added, “We consider this as just a beginning. Besides the medal winners, there were others who also could have stood on the podium with a stroke of luck or guidance. So, this is the time to look to the future. We have to work hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Sports to seek and set up ways to sustain and nurture the talent in short and long-term programmes and we are already at it.” 

Pix by Lasantha Kumara