Sri Lanka to field 9 athletes for Tokyo Paralympics 2020 

• Qualifies for rowing event for very first time in Paralympics history 

The Tokyo Paralympic Games 2019 is scheduled to be held in Japan from 24 August-5 September, for which the National Paralympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NPC Sri Lanka) will be fielding a group of athletes. 

The NPC will be sending a nine-strong contingent of athletes and their coaches, managers and admin officials, making it a maximum of 17 to the Tokyo Paralympics 2020. 

Sri Lankan athletes have qualified to represent Sri Lanka at the Olympics in track and field, rowing, archery and wheelchair tennis. 

The list of athletes who will be taking part in the Tokyo Paralympic 2020 includes MG Sampath Bandara - archery; Dinesh Priyantha Herath - javelin; Samitha Dulan - javelin; Sampath Hettiarachchi - javelin; Kumudu Priyanka - 100m/long jump; Saman Subasinghe - 400m; Palitha Bandara - shotput; Mahesh Jayakody - rowing; and D.S. Darmasena - wheelchair tennis.

Sri Lanka qualified for a rowing event for the very first time in the history of the Paralympics. According to the Chef de Mission Maj. Gen Rajitha Ampemohotti, Sri Lanka expects to win at least two medals as they had done in two previous Paralympics, London 2012 and Rio 2016. 

At the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, Sri Lanka won their first Paralympic medal through Pradeep Sanjaya, who won the bronze medal in the men’s 400 metres T46. At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, Sri Lanka won another bronze. Dinesh PriyanthaHerath was placed third in the men’s javelin throw F46 final. 

NPC’s newly-elected President Lt. Col. Deepal Hearth said that the Sri Lankan contingent expects to leave the island on 19 August and that they have undergone all health regulations specified by the Tokyo Paralympic organisers and will stay in a biobubble during the entire period of the games.