WAPDA seals historic double crown at National Gymnastics Championship
In a landmark achievement, WAPDA has completed a historic double by winning the Women’s Champions Trophy at the 3rd National Women’s Gymnastics Championship, two days after retaining the Men’s National Title. This marks the first time in history that the WAPDA Women’s Gymnastics Team has won the National Championship. WAPDA Women’s Team topped the overall […]
Harsha Karunaratne delivered a memorable performance at the 104th National Athletics Championship, winning the men’s 800 metres with a time of 1:47.80 on the final day. This remarkable achievement shattered the meet record and set a new standard for Sri Lankan middle-distance running. Trained by Susantha Fernando, Karunaratne's accomplishment was especially significant as he is the sole gold medallist from the 2025 South Asian Championship not selected for the Mission Olympic programme.
His training partner, Shehan Dilranga, complemented the success by achieving a personal best of 1:48.43, second overall. Karunaratne's family ties to Sri Lankan track and field are notable, with his sister Tharushi Karunarathna being an Asian Games gold medallist. The performance brought him close to the national record held by Indunil Herath, who set the benchmark at 1:47.13 in 2018.
Herath, a Sri Lanka Army athlete, achieved his record abroad after training in Kenya, making Karunaratne's home soil achievement even more impressive. It is worth noting that Herath's mark remains the fastest 800m ever recorded by a Sri Lankan within the country, despite the overseas record being slightly faster. Karunaratne's performance, coupled with Dilranga's personal best, indicates a growing depth in Sri Lanka's 800m runners.
The decision to exclude Karunaratne from the Mission Olympic programme has been called into question, with his recent success making it difficult for selectors to overlook his talent.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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