Judoka Dharmawardana selected to participate in Olympics

By Susil Premalal

Judoka Chamara Nuwan Dharmawardana has been selected to participate in the Tokyo Olympics under the Universal Places category, according to the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL).

Gold medalist at the 2019 Kathmandu South Asian Games, this will be the second time that Dharmawardana will be participating in the Olympics, having previously competed in the 2016 Rio Games.

The final date to achieve qualification in the Olympics is tomorrow (June 29).

Dharmawardana will join Sri Lanka’s Olympic contingent which includes Mathilda Karlsson (equestrian), Tehani Egodawela (shooting), Niluka Karunaratne (badminton),  Milka Gehani (gymnastic), Matthew Abeysinghe and Aniqah Gaffoor (swimming). 

The country’s only two Olympic medals have come from athletics (Duncan White in 1948 and Susanthika Jayasinghe in 2000) but no athlete has qualified for the Olympics so far. However, the ranking points of potential qualifiers will be known after the conclusion of the 60th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships being held in India, where an eleven-member team from Sri Lanka is competing.

If none of them achieve direct qualification, two out of the leading contenders in the likes of Nilani Ratnayake (3,000m steeplechase), Yupun Abeykoon (100m), Ushan Thiwanka (high jump) and Nimali Liyanarachchi (800m) are expected to be selected via the universal entry method, according to Sri Lanka Athletics.