By Dhammika Ratnaweera
Three Sri Lankan weight lifting teams are expected to take part at the Commonwealth weight lifting championships which is scheduled to be held from 9th to 14 th June in Samoa. This event is named as the selection trial for the forthcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.
In the recent time weight, lifting is the Sri Lankan most successful sport with winning several medals for the country. Last Asian Games in Jakartha Sri Lanka cameback home with out winning a single medal. However Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014, the solitary medal won by weight lifter Sudesh Pieris while at the last Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast three weight lifters won medals including solitary silver from Indika Dissanayake. Chnitana Geetal Vidhanage was the most successful weight lifter winning gold medal 62 kg at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and silver medal 69 kg at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Sri Lankan weight lifters are the focus in next Olympics in Tokyo and this Samoa tour is more important for them to get Olympic qualification.
Sri Lankan senior team comprised with three men’s Indika Dissanayake will compete 73 weight class and he will be appointed the Captain of the Sri Lanka team he Commonwealth Games silver medal winner once again with high hope to get Olympic qualification this time. Former Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold and silver medal winner Chinatana Geethal Vidhanange will compete, 81 kg class, while Thilanga Palangasinghe for the 61 kg weight class also included this men’s team while Hansali Gomes 49 kg, Chamari Warnakulasuriya 55kg and Dinuda Abeysekara 45 kg will compete for the senior women’s team. R.B Wickramasinghe will accompany the senior team as head coach while G.C.N Gamage Assistant coach and T.U.M.B Jayathilaka will be the masseur for this tour
Meanwhile Sri Lankan junior team and youth team also accompanied with the senior team for this tour and they can get good exposure this time
Sri Lankan senior weight lifting team.
Chinatana Geethal Vidhanage (81kg), Indika Dissanayaka Capt (73kg), Thilanga Palagasinghe ((61kg), Dinuda Abeysekera (45kg), Hansali Gomas (49kg) Chamari Warnakulasuriya (55kg) , R.B Wickramasinghe (Head coash), G.C.N Gamage (Assit Coach), T.U.M.B Jayatilleka(Massio)
Sri Lanka junior weight lifting team
R.D.G Abeynayaka(men’s 55kg),G.R.C.V Gamlath (men’s 55kg),J.G.U.R Gunatilleka(women’s 45kg), D.M.S Samarakoon (women’s 45kg) V. Arshika (women’s 64kg), B.J Haputenna (women’s 77kg above)W.A.R.D Wansapura (coach) Indra Kumara and R.M.C.R Kumara (Assit Coach)
Sri Lanka youth weight lifting team
R.S.D Somathilleka (men’s 49kg),A.S Liyanagedera men’s 49kg), A.S.D Jayawardena(men’s 55kg)D.W Srimal (men’s 89kg) V.P.Kumara (Manager), D.N Ranjana (Coach)
Caption – Indika Dissanayaka captain of the Sri lanka weight lifting team
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