Asian Junior Athletic Championship in Sri Lanka

524 athletes from 34 countries including Sri Lanka will participate in the 15th Asian Junior Athletic Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka  from 9th to 12th of this month.

111 athletes from Sri Lanka are participating in this event.  The Sri Lanka Athletic Association said that Athletes from Qatar, Kuwait and Yemen have already arrived and they have started practices.  

Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage has already announced a cash prize scheme for medal winners as a measure to boost our athletes.  Accordingly a Gold Medal winner will receive Rs. 5 lakhs, a Silver Medal winner will get Rs. 3 lakhs and a Bronze Medal winner will get Rs. 1 1/2 lakhs

Sports Ministry sources said that Sri Lanka as the host country hopes for more medals this year. Two women athletes, Damayanthi Dharsha and Susanthika Jayasinghe have been competent enough to set up two records on behalf of Sri Lanka which still remain untouched. Dharsha entered the AJA Championship record book in 1994. She sprinted 100 metres in 11.42 seconds in Jakartha. Sri Lanka's outstanding sprinter Susanthika clocked 23.16 seconds to finish 200 metres in Jakartha again a decade later.

China holds the most number of records in the championships including that of Li Tao's 100 metres which he sprinted in 10.26 also in Jakarta in 1986. The oldest records account for Li Tao and another Chinese athlete Sun Xiurong. He speared a distance of 60.74 in Jakarta in the same year.

Meanwhile the organizers said that most of the tickets for the Meet have been sold out. The tickets for the event are issued at the Sports Development Department at Torrington and at the Secretariat of the 15th Asian Junior Athletic Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium. (niz)