Sri Lanka secure five medals at Asian U-20 Meet

4×400m Mixed Sri Lanka Relay Team (Bronze medalists)

By Susil Premalal

Sri Lanka secured two Silver and three Bronze medals at the 21st Asian Junior Under-20 Athletic Championships 2024, conducted by Asian Athletic and held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Sri Lanka failed to win a Gold medal at this year’s event, as at the previous meet held in Incheon, South Korea, in 2023, they finished with two Gold, one Silver, and two Bronze medals.
The Sri Lankan contingent included 11 men and six women for this meet, where athletes from 38 countries participated. 
The Silver medalists were Nethmika Herath, who recorded a distance of 3.01m in the Women’s triple jump, and the 4x100m Men’s Relay Team, which included Kausal Thamel, Induwara Weerarathna, Indusara Vidushan, and Merone Wijesinghe, that clocked a time of 39.81s.
The 4x400m Men’s Relay Team of Avishka Rajapksha, Shashinth Silva, Hasindu Nethsara, and Jathya Kirulu recorded a time of 3:09.48s to win Bronze.
Sri Lanka also won Bronze in the 4x400m Women’s Relay Team (Pravindi Dunusingha, Jathma Wijethunga, Charuni Pramudhika, and Nuhansa Kodithuwakku), which recorded a time of 3:46.20s.
Sri Lanka won their third Bronze medal in the 4x400m Mixed Relay (time: 3:28.18s) through Jathya Kirulu, Avishka Rajapksha, Jithma Wijethunga, and Thakshima Nuhansa.
In addition, four other Sri Lankan athletes qualified to compete in the final round of their respective events but failed to win a medal.