Sri Lanka’s star sprinter and Olympian Yupun Abeykoon is set to contest in a relay event for the first time in six years at the Dubai Grand Prix, as the country’s elite athletes await a eventful international schedule during the next few weeks.
The elite athletes are set to competition in at least six international events across June, including the coveted World Relay Championship in China and the Asian Athletics Championship in South Korea, Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) sources said.
The first team to leave these shores was the Men’s 4x100m relay squad, which departed yesterday (7).
The team features Olympian Yupun Abeykoon, who will also contest in the Dubai Grand Prix 2025 while it will be the first time since 2019 that the Italy-based sprinter will run in a relay event for his country.
Abeykoon who is the only South Asian to have clocked sub ten seconds in the 100 meters has not featured in a relay for Sri Lanka throughout the past six-year period.
He last signified his country at the South Asian Games in Kathmandu where the Lankan team clinched the gold medal.
Abeykoon is set to be joined by the likes of reigning national champion Chamod Yodasinghe and emerging talents such as Meron Wijesinghe, Deneth Weeraratne and Chamod Dissanayake at the Dubai event.
In the meantime, Sri Lanka’s Mixed 4x400m relay team is scheduled to take wing to China today (8), to compete in the World Relay Championship due to take place on 10 and 11 May in Guangzhou, China.
The team will entail of Kalinga Kumarage, Aruna Darshana, Sadew Rajakaruna, Nishendra Fernando, Sayuri Mendis and Nadeesha Ramanayake.
Abeykoon will also compete in the individual 100m during the event.
Two individual athletes – hurdler Nadun Bandara and long jumper Sampath Miranda – will contest in China’s 3rd Belt Athletics Championship in Chongqing from 14-17 May, with their departure scheduled for Sunday (11).
Furthermore, javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga, who recorded a world-leading throw earlier this year, will contest the India Athletics Cup in Chandigarh alongside his coach Tony Prasanna.
Throughout the latter part of this month, a team of 20 athletes (13 men and seven women) will represent Sri Lanka at the Asian Athletics Championship in Gumi, South Korea, from 27-31 May.
In the meantime six athletes have been nominated to compete in the Taiwan Open Athletics Championship from 7-8 June.
Sri Lanka’s Event Schedule:
Dubai Grand Prix 2025 – Men’s 4x100m Relay
Yupun Abeykoon, Chamod Yodasinghe, Meron Wijesinghe, Deneth Weeraratne, Chamod Dissanayake
World Relays – Guangzhou, China – Mixed 4x400m Relay
Kalinga Kumarage, Aruna Darshana, Sadew Rajakaruna, Nishendra Fernando, Sayuri Mendis, Nadeesha Ramanayake
China’s 3rd Belt Athletics – Chongqing, China (14-17 May)
Nadun Bandara – 110m Hurdles, Sampath Miranda – Long Jump
India Athletics Cup 2025 – Chandigarh (22 May)
Rumesh Tharanga – International Javelin Competition
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