      |
|
BANGKOK, Dec. 18 - Damayanthi Darsha of Sri Lanka celebrates after winning the women's 200 metres race at the Asian Games. Li Xuemei of China was second in front of Yan Jianku, also from China. - Reuters
Dharsha wins gold, sets new Asian record
Shirajiv Sirimane reporting from Thailand
Bangkok, Dec. 18 Ñ Damayanthi Dharsha recorded the best ever double for Sri Lanka when she won the 200m Gold medal with a new Asian and Asian Games record at the 13th Asian Games yesterday.Continuing from where she stopped last Wednesday, with the 400m Gold, Darsha ran the best race of her life to pluck an unexpected Gold for her country. She ran at a blistering pace of 22.48 seconds and became the first Sri Lanka woman ever to win two Medals for the country. She also became Sri Lanka's first woman to establish a Asian record bettering Susanthika Jayasinghe's previous record set in 1995 Asian Track and Field Championship, 23.00 seconds. Dharsha's timing place her in the Sri Lanka's overall second best 200m list, after Susanthika's of 22.33 seconds Silver Medal winning performance at the 1997 Athens World Championships.
Dharsha, together with her rival and pre-race favourite, Le Xuemei got off to a good start and both ran neck and neck in the first 75 meters. The Chinese who won the Games short sprint title with a new Asian record then started to over run Dharsha and took a slender lead. Li then extended her lead and at the final 75 meters was in sight she had a clear run over the Sri Lankan, At this point Dharsha got in to a breathtaking pursuit holding on to the champion sprinter in the last 10 meters to finish the race in a close finish.
Li finished a mere points five seconds behind Dharsha clearly indicating the tough competition. Many dubbed Dharsha's pursuit as the best they have seen in the Games competition so far. China's Jiankni Yan finished third with a time of 32.15 seconds while Malaysia's G. Shsanthi was third stopping at 23.42 seconds', India's P. T. Usha pulled out of 200 m competition saying that the competition was too hot for her to handle while Susanthika citing a pulled muscle went back to Sri Lanka.
Hemasiri Fernando said that a special inquiry will be held to probe her pull out when he arrives in Sri Lanka.
Dharsha speaking to 'The Island' said that even she did not expect a Gold or a new record, 'I ran my best yesterday, and the Gold and the new record is more than a welcome,' she said, 'My Coach Sunil Gunawardane prior to the race told me not to give up but to chase Li, if I was falling behind her. That is what I just did,' She said. 'l am so happy that I could win another Gold for my country,'
Dharsha, the 23-year-old sprinter also thanked her sponsor and employee Yashodha Enterprises. 'I must also specially thank the Sports Minister S. B. Dissanayake for forming the Olympic pool and providing us all opportunities for our local and overseas training,'' she said with gratitude,
Dharsha, hailing from the outskirts from Ampara District was first spotted by her coach nearly a' decade ago and was then brought to Panadura for advanced training:. Born to a family of one brother and a sister she was then introduced to the newly formed Track Master Sports Club and her oozing talent specially in the Schools circuit, earned her a scholarship at the Ladies Collage. She was voted on many occasions as the best athlete to the National School Games and National Sports Festival.
Having represented many Malaysian Opens, Junior Asian Championships she first came to the Asian spotlight when she won Gold's in 100 m 200m and 4xI00m Relay events from the 1991 Colombo SAF games, A Marketing executive at Yashodha Enterprises Dharsha then went on to grab both the 100m and 200m National records from Inoka Cooray and later surrendered it to Susanthika Jayasinghe.
She has represented the country in two Olympics' (1992 and 1996) and three Asian Championships and the I996 Athens World Championships.
Sugath snatches Bronze
Sugath Tilakaratne running in the 200m final for the first time stood up to the occasion by winning a bronze medal.The 400m gold medallist came out with a 20.83 seconds run to annex the bronze. The gold was snatched by the Japanese sprinting sensation Ito Koji with a new Asian Games timing of 20.25 seconds. Ito in a class of his own also established a new Games record in the 100m sprint and ran the anchor lap in the gold medal winning Japan's 4x100m relay.
Choeming Han of China clocking 20.70 seconds won the silver. It is also fitting to mention the fact that Sugath beat Kazakasthan's G. Chrenovol (20.84 sec.) and Qatar's Ibrahim Faraj (20.90 sec.) to the fourth and fifth places.
It was Sugath's last 25 meter run which enabled him the bronze and with better international exposure he would be a very bright hope for Sri Lanka in time to come.
'It was in a bad lane but that is no excuse. I have to have more practice,' he said.
Sugath too showed a slow and steady, but yet a very long progress to yesterday's gold medals. Coached by Anura Bandara who was left back in Sri Lanka for reasons best known for the sports administrators.
He became the cynosure of all eyes when he ran a heart stopping 400m run at the 1993 Dacca SAF Games to seal gold for his country. This medal put confidence to Sugath, who went from strength to strength from there. Employed at Sri Lanka Telecom, Sugath attracted the attention of the World Media at the Atlanta Olympics when he beat pre race favourite, Michael Johnson in the 400m heats. It was rumoured that Johnson, furious by his surprised defeat even refused to pose for a photograph with Sugath.
Sugath having secured a haul of Asian medals, entered the world arena by winning the 1998 Commonwealth Games 400m bronze medal with a time of 44.64 seconds.
Having made his mark in the international arena, he tried his power in the 200m event and was richly rewarded with the Sri Lanka record in 1998. (21.09 seconds).
An incident
Meanwhile a very unfortunate incident deprived Sri Lankan's a berth in the mean's 4 x 400m final. The event was worked off with Pradeep Kumara, V. Ratnakumara, K. Mendis and W. Wijetunge running the event in lap order. The first three runners did a creditable job in this semi final and handed over the baton to Wijetunge with the second place in sight. Wijetunge who replaced, Sugath who was tired after running the 200m final ran 50 meters and accidentally dropped the baton thus taking off the chance of the Lanka's place in the final. The Lankan camp was expecting at least a silver from this event and this incident was a costly miss.The 4 X 400m women's final and Sriyani Kulawansa's 100m final will be worked off as a straight final today due to lack of competitors.
Hurdler Mahesh Perera competing in international event of this magnitude nearly did well to clock 14.24 seconds and placed third in the 110m Hurdles semi final.
Sriyani is strongly tipped to win at least a Silver today while Mahesh is the dark horse from the Sri Lankan camp.
Their Women's 4x400 relay team too is bound to impress today the last day of games competition.
Keshani Samarakoon did not come out with a good run in the 5000m final and was placed a disappointing 8th timing 17:44.93 seconds.
Taipei too much for Lanka
Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Rugger team on whose shoulders a certain bronze medal was laid, let down the country when they were beaten by Chinese Taipei 20 (1 try, 5 penalties) to 38 (3 goals 1 try and 4 penalties.) and settling for the fourth place. At the change over Sri Lankans trailed 9-18.Dashing fullback N. Weerakkody who kicked the Lankans to victory over hosts.Jaipe won all their ten line outs while the Lankan only was 6 out of 12 clearly proving that the Lankans badly failed in this department. Asoka Jayasena and Priyantha Ekanayake's absence too was badly felt.
However Nalaka made up for disappointing performance by booting 5 penalties.
The Lankan forwards did a praiseworthy job with Harris Omar once again showing his class. S. Nawaz (Right Centre), Duminda Silva, (Flanker) and I. Bandaranayake (Second Row) also played game for the Lankan's.
Coach Ana Saranaplala was very critical on the performance of Nalaka and said that though he scored 15 points he gave away 21 points. 'We were all out to win this game but Nalaka let us down badly.' he said.
Navi Taka, the Taipei Coach said that thy were never expecting to win with such a margin. 'The Lankan's played a good game but we simply played better,' he said.
Earlier this year Sri Lanka lost to Taipei 19-21 and a better performance was expected from the Islanders.
Meanwhile in the final South Korea edged out Japan 21/17 to take the Gold medal in an action packed match.
