Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) is scheduled to send a young and experienced group of 20 athletes for the 26th Asian Athletics Championships 2025, set to take place in Gumi, South Korea from 27-31 May. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The squad contains of 13 male athletes and seven female athletes. Seven male athletes and four female athletes are expected to take part in individual events during the four-day meet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The women\u2019s team will be headed by Olympian and javelin thrower Dilhani Lekamge, who won a Bronze medal at the previous edition of the Asian Championship in Bangkok, while Olympian and javelin thrower Sumedha Ranasinghe will lead the men\u2019s team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Italy-based star sprinter Yupun Abeykoon and leading national 100 m champion Chamod Yodasinghe will compete in the men\u2019s 100 m event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The seasoned Abeykoon will also contest in the 200 m event. Promising athlete Lesandu Arthavidu from Ananda College, Colombo will be in action in the men\u2019s high jump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sri Lanka will pin high hopes on javelin throwers Sumedha Ranasinghe and Rumesh Tharanga, with the duo being among the best in Asia this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sri Lanka team consist of four relay teams for the men\u2019s 4×100 m, men\u2019s 4×400 m, women\u2019s 4×400 m, and mixed 4×400 m events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the previous championship, the men\u2019s 4×400 m men\u2019s relay team won Gold, while the 4×400 m mixed relay team bagged Silver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team features four Olympians: Aruna Darshana, Abeykoon, Lekamge, and Ranasinghe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though, former Gold medallist and Olympian Tharushi Karunarathna will not be in action during this year\u2019s edition as she is currently in the US for studies and further training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sri Lanka secured three Gold, two Silver, and three Bronze medals at the last Asian Championships in Thailand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nadeesha Ramanayake (400 m), Tharushi Karunarathna (800 m), and the men\u2019s 4×400 m relay team won Gold medals at the last edition in Bangkok in 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, Ramanayake contests as the only defending individual Gold medallist from the island nation. She is also a key member of the 400 m women\u2019s relay and 400 m mixed relay teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Long-distance runner Rasara Wijesuriya will compete in both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The men\u2019s 4×400 m relay team comprising Kalinga Kumarage, Darshana, Sadew Rajakaruna, and Kalhara Indupa will look to retain its title. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Darshana and Kumarage are the two seniors in the Gold medal-winning team of the previous championship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SLA Secretary General Saman Kumara Gunawardena stated that the experienced 400 m athlete Darshana, who had been injured at the recently held World Relay Championship, had successfully come through the 300 m test run held on Thursday (22) with a time of 33.41 seconds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Darshana is probable to compete in the 400 m event as well as the 400 m men\u2019s relay and 400 m mixed relay events in the Asian Championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abeykoon and Yodasinghe will join Dineth Weeraratna, Merone Wijesinghe, and Chamod Dissanayake to form the 4×100 m relay team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SL squad for the Asian Athletics Championships<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Men:<\/strong> Yupun Abeykoon (100 m, 200 m, 4×100 m), Chamod Yodasinghe (100 m, 4×100 m), Kalinga Kumarage (200 m, 400 m, 4×400 m, 4×400 m mixed), Aruna Darshana (400 m, 4×400 m, 4×400 m mixed), Lesandu Arthavidu (high jump), Sumedha Ranasinghe (javelin throw, Captain), Rumesh Tharanga (javelin throw), Meron Wijesinghe (4×100 m), Dineth Weeraratna (4×100 m), Chamod Dissanayake (4×100 m), Sadew Rajakaruna (4×400 m, 4×400 m mixed), Kalhara Indupa (4×400 m, 4×400 m mixed), and Omel Shashintha Silva (4×400 m, 4×400 m mixed)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Women:<\/strong> Dilhani Lekamge (javelin throw, Captain), Rasara Wijesuriya (5,000 m, 10,000 m), Nishendra de Silva (400 m, 4×400 m, 4×400 m mixed), Nadeesha Ramanayake (400 m, 4×400 m, 4×400 m mixed), Sayuri Mendis (4×400 m, 4×400 m mixed), Jayeshi Uththara (4×400 m, 4×400 m mixed), and Jithma Wijethunga (4×400 m, 4×400 m mixed)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) is scheduled to send a young and experienced group of 20 athletes for the 26th Asian Athletics Championships 2025, set to take place in Gumi, South Korea from 27-31 May. The squad contains of 13 male athletes and seven female athletes. Seven male athletes and four female athletes are expected to…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,66,67],"tags":[1554,73,134],"class_list":["post-8968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-athletic","category-international-athletics","category-national-athletics","tag-asian-athletics-championships-2025","tag-slsports","tag-sports-news"],"yoast_head":"\n