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A.R.B.J Rajapaksha
A.R.B.J Rajapaksha
Mar 20 2026
53- First overseas event for new SLA administration
Sri Lanka has made arrangements to send a squad of 14 athletes to India led by star athlete Aruna Darshana, following an invitation from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to compete at the National Open Relay Championship in Chandigarh on 28 March.
This was revealed to The Daily Morning Sports, by the newly-elected member of Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) President Bimal Wijayasinghe.
According to him, at the upcoming event – which will be the first overseas event local athletes will take part in since the new administration took office a week ago, Sri Lanka will field two men’s 4x400m relay teams and one women’s 4x400m relay team.
Men’s 4x400m Team A will feature the likes of Olympian Aruna Dharshana, Kalhara Indupa, Pasindu Kodikara, and Sadeera Wimansa Rajapaksa.
Premier sprinter Darshana who specialises in the 400m and 200m events, became the first Sri Lankan in two decades to advance to the 400m semifinals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He has also become one of Sri Lanka’s most successful quarter-milers since the era of ex-veteran athlete Sugath Thillakaratne on whose footsteps many in the athletics circles have tipped him to follow.
He is set to spearhead the Men’s 4x400m relay Team A which will also have rising stars such as Kalhara Indupa and Pasindu Kodikara.
The Men’s 4x400m relay Team B will be made up of budding athletes Pabasara Niku, Ishan Maduranga, Minol Dismitha, Nimesh Pramuditha and Hasindu Nethsara as the reserve.
The women’s 4x400m team includes Nishendra Harshani Fernando, Jithma Shenari Wijethunga, Sayuri Lakshina, Jayeshi Uththara, and Sandumini Bandara as a reserve.
SLA head Wijayasinghe stated that they had opted to send two men’s relay teams to the upcoming competition, following a request to that effect by the AFI who had consented to provide overseas exposure to Lankan athletes.
He added that with a hectic international schedule looming on the horizon for local athletes, including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in July and the Asian Games in Aichi, Nagoya in September, the National Open Relay in India should stand in good stead.
The relay teams for National Open Relay Championship in India
Men’s 4x400m – Team A: (Aruna Darshana, Kalhara Indupa, Pasindu Kodikara, Sadew Wimansa Rajapaksa)
Men’s 4x400m – Team B: (Pabasara Niku, Ishan Maduranga, Minol Dismitha, Nimesh Pramuditha, Hasindu Nethsara – Reserve)
Women’s 4x400m Team: (Nishendra Harshani Fernando, Jithma Shenari Wijethunga, Sayuri Lakshima, Jayeshi Uththara, Sandumini Bandara – Reserve)
Source - The Morning
