Sports News from Sri Lanka: Weightlifters from Sri Lanka will participate in the World Weightlifting Championships to be held in Thailand from September 16 to 27. Sri Lanka’s eight-member squad includes six males and two females.
The skilled Sri Lankan weight lifter Chintana Geethal Vidhanage, the former Olympian and gold and silver medal winner, is the highest player in this squad, taking part in the 81 kg weight class, while Sudesh Pieris, the silver medal winner of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and Indika Dissanayake, the silver medal winners of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, are also powerful medal contender. The other members of the men’s squad are Y.D.I Kumara, Thilanga Palangasinghe and Chaturanga Lakmal.
Meanwhile, the women’s team includes the most experienced women’s duo in this sport, Hansani Gomes (49Kg) and Chamari Warnakulasuriya (55 kg). Indika Dissanayake, who will compete in this competition in the 73 kg and also coaches the Sri Lankan team, said this world championship will be very difficult for Sri Lankans, but the achievement in this championship will be regarded for the Olympic qualification.
We are focusing on the Tokyo Olympics and this task is very crucial in selecting rivals for the last Commonwealth Games for the Olympics added Dissananayake who was the only silver medal winner.
R.B Wickramasinghe is the team’s head coach and Rukshan Gunatilleka and T.U.M.B Jayatilleka will also be accompanied by the two assistant coaches and masseur D.M.U Dissanayake.
