Race Walking gold for Rukmal and Lakshani

By Susil Premalal

RMD Rukmal of Uva Province and Hashini Lakshani of Southern Province emerged as champions in the men’s and women’s Race Walking events at the 49th National Sports Festival (NSF), which was held in Galle.

The competition, organized by the Ministry of Sports and the Department of Sports Development, took place along the highway entrance road in Galle and drew top athletes from across the country.

Rukmal completed the men’s event in an impressive 1 hour, 38 minutes and 34 seconds, narrowly beating his closest rivals. 

In the women’s race, Lakshani secured the gold with a time of 1 hour, 49 minutes and 25 seconds, showcasing her dominance in the field.

The race walking events highlighted the endurance and skill of Sri Lanka’s athletes, with strong performances particularly from the Southern Province which dominated the women’s category.

Results:
Men’s Race Walking:
1.RMD Rukmal (Uva) — 1:38.34
2.Imantha Sahan (Southern) — 1:39.05
3. DMTSS Dunukara (North Central) — 1:39.22
4. HMSR Herath (North Central) — 1:42.50
5. PHSL Fernando (North Western) — 1:43.48

Women’s Race Walking:
1.Hashini Lakshani (Southern) — 1:49.25
2.Kalhari Madirika (Southern) — 1:51.08
3.PB Gayani (Southern) — 1:52.30
4. Malshi Chatumini (Uva) — 2:00.49
5. KGGS Abethissa (Central)