By Dhammika Ratnaweera
Samantha Pushpakumara of Western Province and Gayanthika Abeyratne of Southern Province won Men’s and Women’s Cross Country race at the 46th National Sports Festival (NSF) at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Course last Sunday.
The men’s category winner Pushpakumara took 34:07.10 seconds while the women’s winner Gayanthika finished the event in 40:16.80 seconds The distance of both events was 10 km. Gayanthika the National middle distance runner who took part this event after laps of two years came with fine performances while Samantha Pushpakumara who sustained an injury while the race was on and had to give up after leading for the most part of the race last year this time ran through to finish line more comfortably.
The second place in the men’s race went to T.M.E. Tennekoon of Uva Province (34:09.57) while third place went to M. Sivarajan of Central Province (34:22.34). The second place in the women’s race went to K.M. Malindra of Western Province (40:21.04) and third place A. Nilanthi Lanka of Sabaragamuwa (40:30.20).
The cross country championship was held an open championship for the second consecutive year, where the winners of the men’s and women’s categories were awarded 50, 000 rupees each with the second-place athlete getting 40, 000 rupees and third place 30, 000 rupees. Sports Ministry Secretary K.D.S Ruwanchandra was the Chief Guest and gave away the wards.
The event was conducted by the Ministry of Sports and the Department of Sports Development This was the first event of the National Sports Festival 2020.
Results
Men 1. Samantha Pushpakumara (Western) 34.07.10sec, 2. T.M.E.Tennakoon (Uva) 34.09.57 sec, 3. M Sivarajan (Central)34.22.37 sec, 4.Dhanushka Maduranga (Central)34.28.77 sec 5.Manjula Wijeratna(Eastern)34.47.39 sec 6. A.L.Srimantha (Western)34.48.60 sec 7.J.K.Bandara (Central)35.02.84 sec 8. Nilanka Alwis (Sabaragamuwa)35.05.46 sec 9.M.G Abeyratna (Western)35.07.65 sec 10. S.R.Wijewickrama (Sabaragamuwa)35.13.33 sec
Women
1.Gayanthika Abeyratna(Southern)40.16.80 sec 2. K.M.Malindra(Western) 40.21.04 sec 3.Lanka Ariyadasa (Sabaragamuwa)40.30.20sec 4. Velu Krishanthini(Central)42.43.92 sec 5.N.M. Nandasena(Eastern) 43.48.89 sec 6. S.D.Liyanage (Sabaragamuwa)44.09. 70 sec 7. Iresha Fernando (Western)45.25.24 sec 8. Manjula Kumarasinghe (Western)46.02.58 sec 9. Devindi Fernando (Western) 46.33.71 sec 10. Nilushi Fernando (Western) 46.56.27 sec
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