Lankan lifters aim high at Singapore Weightlifting C’ships
Commonwealth silver medalist Indika Dissanayake will lead the Sri Lanka weightlifting team for the forthcoming Singapore Weightlifting International Championship which is scheduled to be held from February 25 to 27 in Singapore.
The ten-member men’s team and nine-member Women’s team are expected to take part in this tournament which is going to be good exposure for the local weightlifters before the Asian and Commonwealth games, the two major events of this year.
Indika Dissanayake of Sri Lanka Navy who was the only Sri Lankan silver medal winner at the last Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in 2018 said local weightlifters are getting hard training to focus on these international events and their main focus is Asian and Commonwealth Games. During the last Commonwealth championship held in Uzbekistan, last December Dissanayake also led the team while the Sri Lankan men’s weightlifting team won the overall third position and that was a good achievement at this hard period and also the first time in history, said Dissanayake. “I competed in the 73kg category while experience Chinthana Geethal Vidhanage (81kg), Thilanka Palangasinghe (61kg), Manoj Wijesinghe (67kg) were able to get bronze medals to finish overall third place and this was the highest achievement by Sri Lankans at Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, said skipper Indika Dissanayake. In addition, three women’s medals, gold from Srimali Samarakoon (45kg), silver from Thimali Haputenna,(+87kg), and bronze from Nadishani Rajapaksa (61kg) were added to the Lankan medal tally apart from men’s four bronze medals at the last Commonwealth championship and this achievement gave a big boost to our weight lifters, added Dissanayake.
“We have very talented coaching staff headed by National coach R.B Wickramasinghe while five other coaches will accompany with the team at this Singapore tour.
Chintana Geethal Vidhanage the experienced weightlifter who won Commonwealth gold and silver earlier once again will compete for the 81 kg category while I aim to compete once again 73kg and Sudesh Pieris the 2014 Commonwealth medal winner also in my same 73kg weight category. Thilanka Palagasinghe (61kg), Dilanka Isuru Kumara (55kg), Chaturanga Lakmal Kumara (55kg) are the experienced medal winners of the Sri Lanka men’s team while Hansani Gomes(49kg) and Chamari Warnakulasuriya (55kg) are the experienced weightlifters at the nine-member women’s team. Once again we are expecting to win medals at this meet and all our athletes are in good preparation before this tour, added skipper Dissanayake.
Lanka weightlifting team for Singapore:
Men’s team: Indika Dissanayake (73kg), Dilanka Isuru Kumara(55kg), Thilanka Palagasinghe (61kg), Chaturanga Lakmal Kumara (67kg), Manoj Wijesinghe(67kg), Sudesh Pieris (73kg), Chintana Geethal Vidhanage (81kg), S.M Peters (96kg), A.G.S Abeywickrama (109kg), Ushan Charuka Pathirana (+109kg)
Women’s team : Srimali Samarakoon (49kg), Hansani Gomes (49kg), Chamari Warnakulasuriya (55kg), Nadishani Rajapaksa (59kg), V.Arshika (64kg), G.G.D.T Gurugama ( 72kg), W.P.D.N Sanjana (76kg), Chaturika Priyanthi (87kg), Thimali Haputhenna (+87kg)
Officials:
A .E Wijewickrama (Manager), R.B Wickramasinghe (National coach), S.M.R Gunatilleke (Coach), T.M.B.U Jayathileke (coach and Masseur), M.N.R Bandara, P.Indrakumara, Nalaka Athukorala (coaches)