Shuttlers, cyclists, lifters add more medals for Lanka

Sri Lankan competitors had to satisfied with four silver medals and a bronze medal on the 4th day of the 11th South Asian Games held here on Monday in Dhaka. Mens and women’s badminton team, cyclist, weightlifter bagged a silver medal each while another weightlifter won a bronze. Sri Lanka’s medal tally increased to ten on completion of Monday’s disciplines.

Upto the third day of the Games Sri Lanka won 2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze.

The medal tally for Sri Lanka stands at 2 gold, 6 silver and 2 bronze.

Sri Lankan women cyclists added yet another medal - a silver in the 50 kilometre road race held in Khulna.

Rasanthi Krishna covered the 50 Km distance from Khulna to Gopalgory road and back with a time of 1 hour 28:34 seconds to grab the silver. Determined rider Rasanthi’s difference of timing was 2:92 seconds from the gold medal winner from India Mahisha Mohan.

One hour 25:42 seconds. another Indian rider Ram Devi won the bronze - 1:28:35 seconds.

Bangladesh riders Marma Fatema and Shisa Farhana were disqualified after the race.

Marma has been pushed by a commissioner motorcycle while Shila because of not taking u turn point.

Sri Lanka women Shuttlers bagged a silver medal in the Badminton Team championship when they were outplayed 3-0 by the holders India in the final played at Wooden floor stadium in Dhaka.

Indian badminton players displayed tremendous control to emerge as the deserving winners.

They won all three single matches in straight sets.

Sayali Gokhala beat Thilini Jayasinghe 21/4, 21/11 in just 23 minutes. Trupti Murgunde beat Chandrika de Silva 21/9, 21/13 (26 minutes) and P.C. Thulasi beat Achini Rathnasiri 21/13, 21/17 (26 minutes). India just took 75 minutes to achieve a convincing win.

Cricket

Sri Lanka registered an easy 64 run victory over Nepal in the opening match of the Twenty20 Cricket Tournament played at Sahul Kamruzzaman Stadium, Rajsahi

Sri Lanka 166 for 8

Nepal 102 for 3

Badminton - Silver for men

Lankan shuttlers took silver medal in the Mens Team Badminton Tournament after losing to the defending champions India in the finals 3-0.

Indian players showed their supremacy in the court craft to achieve this comfortable victory losing all three singles.

Chelha Anand beat Niluka Karunaratne 21/12, 21/18, R. Burasa beat Dinuka Karunaratne 21/08, 21/18, R.P. Adithiya beat Nuwan Hettiarachchi 21/10, 21/15.

Weightlifting - a silver and bronze

Romesh Samarasekera won the silver medal in the discipline of weightlifting held at the National Sport Council Gymnasium in Dhaka.

He won the medal in the 85 kg category to accumulate second best weight of the event in the snatch and jerk.

Romesh lifted 120 kg in the snatch and cleared 135 in the clean and jerk to total 255 kg.

Ransilu Jayatilleke won the bronze medal in the 94 kg category lifting a total of 273 kg. Ransilu lifted 105 kg in the snatch and 105 kg in the jerk.

Spikers enter semis

Sri Lanka spikers recorded a smashing straight sets (3-0) win over Afghanistan in a quarter-final round match of the mens volleyball tournament played at Soharzwardy Indoor stadium.

Our spikers main asset was its strong defence and to spike above the block. Lankans won the first set 25-14, second 25-15 and third 25-19.

Basketball

Indian shooting brilliantly and profiting from Sri Lanka foul play scored an impressive 106 points to 54 in the opening match of the Basketball tournament played at Basketball Indoor Stadium in Dhanmodi.

Indians were faster on the ball and driving better with Ashok and Prasad getting their long range shots. India built up a 54-21 lead at half time.

Sri Lanka cagers’ performance was disappointing as India destroyed all hopes and spirit of their opponents.

Kabaddi

Sri Lanka men and women Kabaddi teams suffered defeats on the hands of Bangladesh teams played in Dhaka, Bangladesh players demonstrated better technique and consistent scoring to chalk up an easy win by 36 points to 15 after leading 20-5 at half time.

In the women’s event Bangladesh recorded a convincing 34 points to 20 victory. At half time the winners led 20-10.

Our players had no answers to Bangladeshi players prowess.

Handball

Lanka’s suffered a big defeat in the Handball, which was introduced to the South Asian Games for the first time.

India got off to a winning start defeating Sri Lanka by 58 goals to 10 after leading 28-2 at the breather played at Handball stadium in Ahzka.

Sri Lanka in semis

Sri Lanka and Afghanistan became the first two teams to qualify for the semifinals of the football tournament in the 11th South Asian Games.

In group ‘A’ Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan are batting out for supremacy and Bangladesh routed Nepal 3-1 while Bhutan was beaten by Maldives 3-0. The outcome from two clashes Maldives Vs Nepal and Bangladesh, Bhutan will descide the semi finalists in this group.

Sri Lanka (4 points) triumphed over Pakistan 1-0 while drew with India nil-all Afghanistan (6 points) is riding high with 2 wins against India and Pakistan and they will play Sri Lanka today.

The two groups winner and runner-up will play on cris cross basis in the semis. India is fielding their U-19 outfit for the tournament.