The Sri Lankan contingent, comprising over 50 athletes, is set to compete in the fourth South Asian Senior Athletics Championship, which begins today (24) at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi, India.
The team faces a major challenge in recovering from a long and exhausting journey, having reached the host city in two batches just a day before the competition. The first group endured a ten-hour transit, while the second spent about five hours in transit.
The three-day championship will kick off with nine medal events on the opening day, featuring the men’s and women’s 100 metres, the mixed relay, triple jump, 5,000 metres, and shot put events. The highlight of the evening will be the showdown to determine the fastest man and woman in South Asia.
Sri Lanka’s hopes in the 100 metres sprint will rest on Chamod Yodasinghe and D.D.S. Diyalawaththa in the men’s category, while Amasha de Silva and Safia Yamic will compete in the women’s event.
Ahead of the competition, the athletes took part in a light training session yesterday to acclimatize to local track conditions and recover from their travel fatigue.
