Sri Lanka finished second at the 4th South Asian Athletics Championships held in Ranchi, India, with an impressive total of 40 medals — 16 gold, 14 silver, and 10 bronze — after the three-day event concluded.
Sri Lankan athletes delivered exceptional performances on the final day, winning eight gold medals to bring their overall gold tally to sixteen.
The day began with Dhanani Kaushalya clinching gold in the women’s 400m hurdles, clocking a superb time of 58.66 seconds, while Araliya Satsarani secured silver with 59.24 seconds, finishing ahead of two Indian competitors.
In the men’s javelin throw, Rumesh Tharanga set a new national record with a throw of 84.29 meters to win gold, while Sumedha Ranasinghe took silver with 81.62 meters.
Veteran athlete Dilhani Sekhara triumphed in the women’s javelin throw, recording 60.14 meters to secure gold.
Harsha Karunaratne added to the tally by winning gold in the men’s 800 meters with a time of 1:59.96.
Madhushani Herath captured gold in the women’s long jump, leaping 6.23 meters, while Methmi Wijesuriya claimed gold in the women’s 10,000 meters with a time of 35:39.95.
Rising sprint star Safiya Yamik made history by winning gold in all three of her events, including the women’s 200 meters, where she clocked a record 23.58 seconds, defeating two Indian competitors.
Sri Lanka also celebrated victory in the men’s 4×400 meters relay, rounding off an outstanding performance at the championships held at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Morabadi, Ranchi.
Meanwhile, India topped the medal table with 20 gold, 20 silver, and 18 bronze medals, while Nepal finished third with six medals. Bangladesh earned three bronze medals, Maldives won one bronze, and Bhutan failed to secure any medals.
