Dialog powers National Team to 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro

Thursday, 14 January 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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National Paralympics Committee President U. R. Rodrigo and National Paralympics Committee Secretary Colonel M. Raja Gunasekera receiving the sponsorship from Dialog Axiata PLC General Manager, Brand & Media – Group Marketing Harsha Samaranayake – Pic by Indraratne Balasuriya

Dialog Axiata, will power the national contingent to the fifteenth Summer Paralympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September2016.

On the ‘Road to Rio 2016’ , one of the selection trials for the final athletic squad will take place at

the National Para Athletics Championship from 21 to 23 January at the Mahinda Rajapaksa

Stadium, Diyagama.

The Sri Lankan contingent is vying for another medal at the Rio Games after the heroics of

Paralympian, Pradeep Sanajaya, who won the nation’s first medal at the 2012 London

Paralympic Games. Pradeep Sanjaya secured a bronze medal in the 400 meter T46 category

with a timing of 49.29 seconds to secure Sri Lanka’s first podium finish at the Paralympics.

The Sri Lankan contingent anticipates fielding a minimum of 10 athletes representing the

disciplines of athletics, table tennis, wheelchair tennis, archery and air rifle shooting at the Rio

Games. Athletes from 150 countries will contest for medals in 22 sports.

Dialog sponsors the National Paralympics Committee and the Sri Lanka Army

Para Games Committee from 2015 to 2017 and has a long history with Paralympic sports in Sri

Lanka - since the company first sponsored the Sri Lanka Paralympic contingent in the year 2000, followed by 2OO4 and 2008, including sponsorship of the National Sports Festival for the disabled.

Dialog was also the proud sponsor of the Army Para Games for 2O15, which empowers disabled serviceman to compete for top honors in 14 disciplines, which included athletics,

archery, badminton, cycling, shooting, table tennis, power lifting, wheelchair marathon,

wheelchair tennis, wheelchair basketball, swimming, wheelchair volleyball, beach volleyball and

seven-a-side softball cricket.