The niece of former Olympic Silver medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe has booked a place in a 10-member Sri Lankan contingent taking part in the Indian inter-state championship.
Eighteen year old Medhani Jayamanne was one of the members of the tour party that left the island this week for the meet and is said to be following in the strides of her mother’s sister Susanthika Jayasinghe who is one of only two Sri Lankan Olympians to win a medal, the other being Duncan White.
Jayamanne is a promising athlete and a member of the 4x100 relay team whose other members are Amasha de Silva, Shelinda Jansen and Safia Yafik along with reserve runner Lakshika Sugandi.
Jayamanne is the youngest of the team and her mother Sriyani Jayasinghe was also an athlete who represented Athinawala Central College and at National level .
Young Jayamanne started her athletic career at Tholangamuwa Central under the guidance of coach Indra Amarasekara and is presently a grade 13 student at Lumbini MV where she was adjudged the best junior sprinter in 2021 doing the 100m in a time of 11.99 seconds and the 200m in a time of 23.16 seconds.
The last time she ran the 100m in 12.7 seconds and then improved the timing to 11.99 seconds under coach Umanga Surendra who is a former National sprinter.
Susanthika also ran the 100m in 11.49 seconds at the junior level. Jayamanne was placed third at the last National championship in the 100m.