Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 27, 2023: Sri Lanka has included its bevy of track and field stars in a 153-strong contingent for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Sports on Wednesday, July 26, approved a squad of 153 athletes, officials and coaches for the Hangzhou showpiece. The island nation will take part in 20 sports.
The squad comprises 62 male and 34 female athletes, 20 managers and 24 coaches, a six-member medical team and seven officials from the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.
Leading the charge for medal glory will be female track and field stars Nadeesha Ramanayaka and Tharushi Karunaratne who both won gold medals at the recent Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ramanayaka won the women’s 400 metres gold medal in a time of 52.61 seconds, a personal best, while Karunaratne, 19, won the gold medal in the women’s 800m, setting a Championship record and new national record with a time of two minutes 00.66 seconds.
Also in the squad for Hangzhou is the powerful men’s 4x400m relay team which set a new national record and Championship record in winning the gold medal in Bangkok in a time of 3:01.56.
Sri Lanka will also field teams in cricket and rugby sevens in Hangzhou.
Sri Lanka, who returned home empty-handed from the last Asian Games in 2018, in Jakarta and Palembang, will be hoping to make amends in Hangzhou.
