Sri Lanka Paralympians leave for Tokyo with high hopes | Sunday Observer

Sri Lanka Paralympians leave for Tokyo with high hopes

1 August, 2021
Harsha Samaranayake, Senior General Manager – Brand and Media, Group Marketing, Dialog Axiata (left) presents the sponsorship to Major General Rajeeva Wickramasinghe and Major General JR Ampemohotti the chef de mission of the Sri Lanka Paralympic contingent to Tokyo in the presence of team captain Dinesh Priyantha Herath, Colonel Deepal Herath, President National Paralympic Committee and Bandula Bandara, Secretary, NPC along with the athletes
Harsha Samaranayake, Senior General Manager – Brand and Media, Group Marketing, Dialog Axiata (left) presents the sponsorship to Major General Rajeeva Wickramasinghe and Major General JR Ampemohotti the chef de mission of the Sri Lanka Paralympic contingent to Tokyo in the presence of team captain Dinesh Priyantha Herath, Colonel Deepal Herath, President National Paralympic Committee and Bandula Bandara, Secretary, NPC along with the athletes

Sri Lanka’s Paralympic contingent will leave for Tokyo this week to contest the Paralympic Games with prospective medal winner in the javelin Dinesh Priyantha Herath leading the group as its flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

Sri Lankan Paralympian Pradeep Sanjaya secured a bronze medal in the 400-meters T46 category with a timing of 49.28 to win the country’s first Paralympic medal at the London Games in 2012.

At the 2016 Rio Games, Herath secured a bronze in the men’s javelin throw and also bagged a silver in 2019 at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Herath will compete in the F46 javelin while Samitha Dulan and Sampath Hettiarachchi will take part in the F44 and F64 javelin events.

Palitha Bandara will line up in the F42 Shot Putt and Maduranga Subasinghe will compete in the T47 400 metres. Kumudu Priyanka will take part in the T45/46 100 metres and long jump while Ranjan Dharmasena will contest wheelchair tennis.

Sampath Bandara and Mahesh Jayakody will aim for success in archery and rowing respectively.

“Sri Lankan Paralympians have performed admirably by winning consecutive medals during the last two Games in London and Rio and despite restrictions to training due to the pandemic the team has worked hard to do what it takes to climb the podium and we are confident of securing a medal in Tokyo,” said Major Gen JR Ampemohotti the chef-de mission.

“I would also like to thank our principal sponsor, Dialog Axiata who has been a strong, encouraging and long-term partner of sports for persons with disabilities in Sri Lanka and whose tireless efforts have helped our athletes to bring glory to the country,” he added.

Harsha Samaranayake, Senior General Manager – Brand and Media, Group Marketing, Dialog Axiata who are sponsoring the Paralympians said they were confident that the team will succeed in Tokyo.

“As a company that has deep roots in Sri Lanka’s national sports, we are proud to have come forward to continue our decade old partnership with the NPC (National Paralympics Committee).

“Our Paralympians in the recent past have shown that Sri Lankan athletes can perform at the highest level in world sports. I wish them all the success for a podium finish at the 2020 Tokyo Games,” said Samaranayake.

Dialog first sponsored the Sri Lankan Paralympic contingent in 2000 and also sponsors the National Para Games.

 

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