World Athletics (IAAF) has approved a payment of US$40,000 to Sri Lanka Athletics who are to embark on a high performance program within the next two years. The events that are to be given this training are in the 4x400 relay men and women teams and the 3000m steeple chase event for women.
According to a senior official of SLA these events have been selected as the junior athletes have the potential based on their achievements during the past two years.
Sri Lanka’s junior 4x400m relay team won a gold medal at the Asian Junior meet in 2018 and were finalists in the World Junior championship the same year. The women’s 4x400 relay team won a bronze medal at the Asian junior meet while they represented Sri Lanka at the World Junior event.
An achievement of high value was the bronze medal won by Paarami Maris Stella in the 2000m steeple chase event at the Youth Olympics. She also won a gold medal at the same event at the Asian Junior meet. Paarami’s training partner Asmika Herath too has excelled in the steeple chase event.
The athletes to be selected for this program will be seven men and women 400m runners while eight women steeple chase athletes will gain selection.
The athletes who have been shortlisted are Aruna Darshana a gold medallist in the 400m Asian Junior and a double gold medallist at the SAF Games, Pasindu Kodikara, Navishka Sandeesh, Dilshi Kumarasinghe and Nadeesha Ramanayake.
The aim of selected athletes is to target the Asian Games in 2022 and World Athletics in 2023.
Sri Lanka Athletics will receive US$ 20,000 per year an each athlete will be paid 75 US dollars per month for a period of 18 months prior to the Asian Games.