Colombo, Sri Lanka, November 10, 2026: Sri Lanka’s young athletics star Lahiru Achintha won the silver medal in the boys’ 1500m at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The talented middle-distance runner clocked a time of three minutes and 59.08 seconds to deliver a historic podium finish for the island nation on the global sporting stage.
Achintha, a stand-out student-athlete from St. Aloysius College, Ratnapura, has rapidly established himself as one of Asia’s most promising young track stars.
At the Bahrain 2025 Asian Youth Games, Achintha made history by capturing Sri Lanka’s first-ever gold medal at an AYG. He won the race with a dominant performance, setting a new Games record of 3:57.42.
According to World Athletics, the 17-year-old Achintha ranks among the fastest youth middle-distance runners in Asia for his age bracket.
In Dakar, Achintha was narrowly beaten by Ethiopia’s Wabi Seblega who won the gold in 3:58.73. Spain’s Alex Sangil took the bronze in 3:59.70.
Achintha's silver is Sri Lanka's first medal at the Dakar YOG.
