Gold medallists Indika Paranagama (left) and Darin Weerasinghe with their medals after they returned home. (Picture courtesy Ceylon Daily News)
PLAYERS SLAM LETHARGIC ATTITUDE OF SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT
Sri Lankan sportsmen who competed in the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in Canada won 23 gold medals. The team also added 16 silver and two bronze medals to the tally.
The international competition was held in St. John’s, capital of New Foundland, from September 15 to 22.The Sri Lankan team comprised eight members. Around 600 athletes from 35 countries took part in the event.
Canada’s bid to host the 2019 Commonwealth championships was accepted over bids from India and New Zealand at a meeting in South Africa in 2017.
Darin Weerasinghe and Indika Paranagama took part in the over 120kg class and the 105kg class. Darin went onto win the overall gold medal in the 120kg + class with a 260kg squat, 210 kg bench press and a 262.5 kg deadlift with a total of 732.5kg. The bench press done by Darin was also a Sri Lankan national record and the only one to pass the 200kg mark in the bench press. Indika secured gold in the 105kg class with a 270kg squat, 180kg bench press and a 285kg deadlift with a total of 735kg. The total set by Darin and Indika was the highest done by any Sri Lankan athlete.
Weerasinghe said he has been playing for about seven to eight years and he is Sri Lankan national champion. He trained for the Canadian competition for one and half years. He got a bronze at the last Commonwealth games and he achieved his dream of winning a gold at the Canadian event. Coach Danushka Kodikara said the Sri Lankan powerlifters brought home the largest total of medals in history, also creating some national records at the event.
The other members of the team were, Ransilu Jayathilake, Marian De Zoysa, Kakolya De Silva and Nivendra de Silva.
Speaking on the eve of Sri Lankan team’s departure to Canada, Jayathilake criticized Ministry of Sports over the lack of support and lethargic attitude, despite the team winning medals at the international stage. “So far 2019 has been one of the greatest years in Sri Lankan powerlifting history and as a team we have done well in the past year. Hopefully we can carry the momentum forward in to the Commonwealth Championship,” said the 32-year-old Jayathilake.
He also added that since powerlifting is not an Olympic sport, they did not get the support that other associations get from the Sri Lankan Sports Ministry. Powerlifting has been recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – by 2024 it will be an Olympic event – and he expects Sri Lanka to win a medal.
He said he has tremendous respect for team member Marian De Zoysa. Being a mother, she is committed to take the sport forward and she has sacrificed a lot since she took up this sport. She is only 10 kg behind the Asian record, Jayathilake added.
Leading up to the commonwealth championships in Canada, Sri Lanka’s powerlifting team created history, when they emerged as the overall men’s champions at the Qualifying event for the World Powerlifting Championship held in Gold Coast, Australia. After that they participated in the World Powerlifting Championship in Sweden and ranked 12th in the world. – newstrails.com
