Nine-member Paralympic team vies for top honours at Rio Games

Thursday, 1 September 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Coach Ranjith Hewanayake, Coach Wimukthi De Soiza, Coach Anula Kostha, Upali Rajakaruna (Wheelchair Tennis), Indika Chuladasa (T42 100 meters, 200 meters), Gamini Ekanayake (F 46 Javelin), Ajith Hettiarachchi (T 44 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters), Amali Nanayakkara - Group Chief Marketing officer, Dialog Axiata Plc, Dayasiri Jayasekara - Minister of Sports, U.R Rodrigo – President, National Paralympic Committee, Major General Channa Gunathilake - Chairman, Sri Lanka Army Para Games Committee, Anil Prasanna Jayalath (Captain) (T 42 100 meters, 200 meters and long jump, Amara Indumathi (T 47 200 meters, 400 meters and long jump), Dinesh Priyantha Herath (F 46 Javelin), Sampath Bandara (Archery), Sampath Hettiarachchi (F 44 Javelin) and Coach Rohitha Fernando

The nine-man Sri Lankan contingent for the 2016 Paralympic Games will take wing to Rio, Brazil in September.

The team will be led by Anil Prasanna Jayalath, who will compete in the T42 100 and 200 meters and the Long Jump, while Gamini Ekanayake and Dinesh Priyantha Herath will take part in the F44 Javelin Throw and Sampath Hettiarcahchi will take part in the F46 Javelin Throw.

Ajith Hettiarachchi will line up alongside the captain for the T 44 100 and 200 meters and the 400 meters. Amara Indumathi will compete in the women’s T47 200 and 400 meters and the Long Jump, together with Indika Chuladasa in the T42 100 and 200 meters. Upali Rajakaruna will represent the country in wheelchair tennis while Sampath Bandara will aim for medals in Archery.

The Sri Lankan Paralympic contingent to Rio is powered by Dialog Axiata, Sri Lanka’s premier telecommunications service provider, which is a longstanding partner of disabled sports in Sri Lanka. Dialog is the proud sponsor of the National Paralympics Committee and the Sri Lanka Army Para Games Committee from 2015-2017, and first sponsored the Sri Lanka Paralympic contingent in 2000, followed by 2004, 2008 and 2012, as well as offering sponsorship for the National Sports Festival for the Disabled. 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. Sanjaya secured a bronze medal in the 400 meters T46 category with a timing of 49.28 seconds to secure Sri Lanka’s first podium finish at the Paralympics. At the IPC Asia-Oceania Championships this year, Sri Lanka Paralympians won six gold medals, four silvers and five bronze medals and are expected to excel on the main stage in Rio. Dialog was also the proud sponsor of the Army Para Games for 2015, empowering disabled servicemen to compete for top honours in 14 disciplines, including athletics, archery, badminton, cycling, shooting, table tennis, power lifting, the wheelchair marathon, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair basketball, swimming, sitting volleyball, beach volleyball and seven-a-side softball cricket.