Asian GP continues strongly in Colombo

Sri Lankan athletes continued to dominate in the 2003 Asian Grand Prix Series, as Olympic medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe, Asian Games triple gold medallist Damayanthi Darsha, and Asian Championships double gold medallist Rohan Pradeep Fernando, won their respective events in style in the second leg meeting at the Sugathadasa Stadium, on Sunday 1 June.

Jayasinghe (women's 100m) and Fernando (men's 400) retained the titles they won in the first leg meeting in Hyderabad, India on Wednesday while Darsha (women's 400m) and emerging long distance runner J.M.S. Jayaweera (men's 3000m) also came first in their respective events.

The Lankan athletes made maximum use of home advantage to win five events and to secure seven second places and six third places, making it a total of 18 places.

It was another creditable performance by Olympic medallist Jayasinghe who suffered from dehydration and gastro enteritis on her return home from the Indian leg of the series on Friday and was rushed to a Colombo hospital by an ambulance, less than 48 hours before the Colombo meet.

But a determined Jayasinghe came back strongly to secure first place and increase her prize money from the series so far to USD 6000, with the chance of winning the same sum again in the remaining legs in Bangkok (June 5) and Manila (June 9).

Asian championship double gold medallist Rohan Pradeep Kumara Fernando once again underlined that he is presently the best 400m runner in Asia, pushing aside compatriot and former Asian Games gold medallist Sugath Tillakaratne into second place. Pradeep Kumara Fernando has also won similar prize money as Jayasinghe.

Jayasinghe said it was nice to win once more and would look forward to maintaining her form in the remaining meets of the series. "I am happy to win at home this time. I look forward to do my country proud once again and to winning all four 100m races in the Grand Prix series," a happy Jayasinghe said after her triumph.

In the men's 400m as well as Fernando, fellow team mate Praanna Amarasekara came third. Sri Lanka also took the first five places in men's 3000m event.

Darsha came back strongly to win her favourite event before her home crowd, after finishing second in Hyderabad. Having lost the first leg meeting to Svetlana Bodritskaya of Kazakhstan, Darsha took complete control in Colombo. Darsha said she is gaining her form after a leg injury which affected her training after winning the gold medal at last year's Asian Games.

"Now I feel that I am getting back to the rhythm. I am so happy that I could make a come back and win at home after being placed second in Hyderabad. I want to keep winning, hopefully I could come good in Bangkok and Manila," she said.

But hurdler Sriyani Kulawansa could not improve on the second place she took in Hyderabad. She could manage the same position in the Colombo Grand Prix after Thailand's Roberts beat the Lankan lass in style. Thailand also won the men's hurdles event as well in which Narongdech Janjal ran 14.35 to take the title.

Sri Lanka had its share of success in the two 4 x 100m relays. Their senior team, comprising R.D. U.S.Surendra, S.P.N. Hemantha, A.R.M.C.B. Ramanayake and Chinthaka de Zoysa, clocked 40.77 to win, while India came second clocking 41.41. Sri Lanka's second string team secured the third place (42.07).

In the women's 100m relay, Susanthika Jayasinghe did the anchor lap but the hosts finished way behind Thailand, who won in 44.71.

Besides Sri Lanka, athletes from Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan and Thailand too excelled in several events in the absence of Asian sporting heavyweights China, which pulled out of the series due to SARS fears.

Kazakhstani sprinter Chernivol Gennaidy won the men's 100m dash in 10.61, ahead of Lankan S.P.N. Hemantha and Indian Sanjay Ghosh. Asia's emerging athletic force, Saudi Arabia did not field its full team, but still won two events - men's 800m (Mohammed O.A. Al Sathi) and long jump (Mohammed Al Khuwalid) and a couple of second places.

The 180-member elite team of Asian Athletes will leave Colombo on Monday and fly out to Bangkok for the third leg of the Asian Grand Prix, scheduled for Thursday (5).

Dinesh Weerawansa for the IAAF

RESULTS:

Men:

100m: 1. Chernivol Gennaidy, Kazakhstan, 10.60, S.P.N. Hemantha, Sri Lanka, 10.84, Sanjay Ghosh, India, 10.86.

400m: Rohan Pradeep Kumara Fernando, Sri Lanka, 46.31, 2. Sugath Tillakaratne, Sri Lanka, 46.48, Prasanna Amarasekera, 46.81.

800m: 1. Mohammed O.A. Al Sathi, Saudi Arabia, 1:47.98, 2. Kolgnov Mikhail, Kazakhstan, 1:48.16, 3. P.W.G.M. Pushpakumara, Sri Lanka, 1:48.31.

3000m: 1. J.M.S. Jayaweera, Sri Lanka, 8:18.38, K. Chandradasa, Sri Lanka, 8:22.54, 3. G.S.P. Mendis, Sri Lanka, 8:25.89.

110m hurdles: 1. Narongdech Janjal, Thailand, 14.35, 2. Mohammed Muhd Faiz, Malaysia, 14.43, 3. Indika Kumara de Silva, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka, 14.45.

Long Jump: 1. Mohammed Al Khuwalid, Saudi Arabia, 7.96 metres, 2. Maha Singh, India, 7.50, 3. Ahmed F. Al Dossary, Saudi Arabia, 7.36.

Discus: 1. Abbas Samimi, Iran, 61.41 metres, 2. Al Dawooi Sultan Sulton M.M., Saudi Arabia, 59.66, 3. Anil Kumar, India, 57.96.

Javelin: Voynov Sergey, Uzbekistan, 79.06 metres, 2. A.B.P. Nishantha, Sri Lanka, 74.27, 3. Harmindar Singh, India, 65.84.
4 x 100m relay: 1. Sri Lanka, 40.77 secons, 2. India, 41.41, 3. Sri Lanka 'A', 42.07.
 
Women:

100m: 1. Susanthika Jayasinghe, Sri Lanka, 11.53, 2. Khubbieva Guzel, Uzbekistan, 11.70, 3. Klomdee Orranut, Thailand, 11.82.

400m: 1. Damayanthi Darsha, Sri Lanka, 52.74, 2. Bodrilakaya Svetlana, Kazakhstan, 53.23, 3. D.H.M. Priyadharshani, Sri Lanka, 55.15.

800m: 1. Roslanova Tatyana, Kazakhstan, 2:03.80 seconds, 2. Borisov Iatyana, Kargykistan, 2:04.28, 3. Amireva Zanura, Uzbekistan, 2:06.63.
 
100m hurdles: 1. Roberts Triscia, Thailand, 13.42 seconds, 2. Sriyani Kulawansa, Sri Lanka, 13.59, 3. Soma Bisuwas, India, 14.68.

Long jump: 1. Kochssheyque Yelena, Kazakhstan, 6.36 metres, 2. Lerma Elmira, Philippines, 6.31, 3. Elena Bobrovskoya, Kyrgikistan, 6.12.

Shot: 1. Du Xianhui, Singapore, 18.07m, 2. Zhang Guirong, Singapore, 17.47, 3. Karaeyan Juthaporn, Thailand, 16.27

4 x 100m relay: 1. Thailand, 44.71 seconds, 2. Sri Lanka, 46.12, 3. India, 47.36.