Sri Lankan Para Contingent to take wings on August 20

By Hishan Welmilla
Nine member Sri Lankan contingent for the Tokyo Paralympics expect to take wings on 20th August. The Tokyo Paralympic Games scheduled to be held in Japan from 24th August to 5th September 2021.
Maj. Gen Rajitha Ampemohotti will be the Chef de Mission and coaches of the athletes will also join the team as officials
The flag bearer for the nine-member ‘Road to Tokyo’ team, Dinesh Priyantha Herath will compete in the F46 Javelin, whilst Samitha Dulan and Sampath Hettiarachchi will take part in F44 and F64 Javelin. Palitha Bandara will line up in F42 Shot Put and Maduranga Subasinghe will compete in the T47 400M. Kumudu Priyanka will take part in T45/46 100m/Long Jump and Ranjan Darmasena will be serving the country in Wheelchair Tennis, whilst Sampath Bandara and Mahash Jayakody will aim for medals in Archery and Rowing.

Photos- Wimuth Palihawadana

Maj Gen Rajitha Ampemohotti is optimistic that Sri Lankan will repeat their podium finishes as in last two Paralympic outings, London 2012 and Rio 2016. At the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, Sri Lanka won its first Paralympic medal through Pradeep Sanjaya, who won the Bronze medal in the Men’s 400 metres T46. At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, Sri Lanka won a bronze. Dinesh Priyantha Herath was placed 3rd in the men’s javelin throw F46 final.
“Despite restrictions to training due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team has worked hard and we are confident on securing more medals in Tokyo. It is a great achievement for Sri Lanka as nine athletes were able to qualify for the event” Maj Gen Ampemohotti said.
The new President of the National Paralympic Committee, Lt Col. Deepal Hearth is also looking forward for the excellent performance from the Sri Lankan athletes.

“ We hope these athletes will bring honor to Sri Lanka and appreciate the support extended by the Hon Minister of Youth & Sports , Namal Rajapaksa and the officials of the ministry of sports for the corporation extended in sending the team to Tokyo.
We have seen the Olympians take to the podium at Tokyo 2020 and the spectacular Olympic Games, but the excitement does not stop with the Closing Ceremony! In fact, celebrations are just about to ramp up a notch as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – the biggest Para sports event in the world – return to Japan 57 years after hosting Tokyo 1964. With excitement at a fever pitch, thousands of Paralympic athletes worldwide are gearing up to compete in 539 events across 22 sports.
Billions of viewers around the world will tune in to watch the Paralympic Games unfold with more than 22 sports taking place from 24 August.

Shooting returns to the Paralympic programme at Tokyo 2020 alongside two sports that made their debut in Rio: canoe and triathlon.
Two new sports have been added to the programme for Tokyo 2020: Para badminton and Para taekwondo, which will get underway on 1 and 2 September.
New disciplines have been included too. In Para canoe, the va’a event will be part of the Paralympic programme for the first time as well as R9 mixed 50 prone SH2 in shooting Para sport. Plus, Para rowing will use the same distance as their Olympic counterparts – 2,000m.
n the run-up to the Opening Ceremony, the Paralympic Games will host a series of flame festivals for the Paralympic Torch Relay.
Spanning across all of Japan’s 43 prefectures as well as in Stoke Mandeville in the United Kingdom – the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement – the flame will be brought together to create a single flame at a Flame Gathering Event in Tokyo on 20 August.
The Paralympic flame will also tour Shizuoka, Chiba and Saitama before the climax of the Paralympic Torch Relay from 17 August to 24 August; the day of the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

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