Sri Lanka’s hopes at the Olympic Games, Yupun Abeykoon could not qualify as he did not participate in the world events to earn the number of points needed.
Besides, he is still carrying an injury that is hindering his ability to run faster in the 100 metres event. He had clocked below 10 seconds in the event but now has difficulty in lowering his timing.
This may be the reason why he failed to turn up in Sri Lanka to participate at the national events that could have given him a chance to qualify.
Abeykoon’s inability to qualify was also confirmed by Chandana Liyanage the Chef de Mission of the Sri Lanka contingent at a media briefing held at the National Olympic Committee (NOC) on Monday (8).
Liyanage also announced that Sri Lanka will never again receive wild cards or tripartite invitations to any Olympics and the emphasis will solely be on securing direct qualification. However, there are 93 countries that receive wild card invitations.
Sri Lanka will be represented at the Paris Olympic Games by three track and field athletes in Tharushi Karunaratne (800m), Dilhani Lekamge (Javelin Throw) and Aruna Darshana (400m) with Viren Nettasinghe (Badminton) and Kyle Abeysinghe and Ganga Seneviratne (Swimming) making up the team.
The athletes will be accompanied by five coaches along with four officials making up a 15-member contingent.
Lekamge and Nettasinghe will carry the Sri Lanka flag during the opening ceremony.
This will be the smallest number of athletes to participate in any Olympics for Sri Lanka that had nine athletes for the Rio and Tokyo Games.
Additionally NOCSL officials Maxwell de Silva and Suresh Subramaniam (president), the Minister of Sports and the Director-General of the Department of Sports Development, will also join the delegation.
In his opening address Subramaniam said that the last Olympics faced the Corona virus but this time they were looking forward to the Games where he has a lot of memories.
“Last time we had nine athletes out of which eight were wild cards. This time I am proud to say that we have four qualified athletes and two wild cards which is very good,” added Subramaniam.
“Qualifying is a big dream in the future. About 10,500 athletes can enter the field so I hope we can target to have about 20 athletes qualifying for the Los Angeles Olympics in four years time,” said Maxwell de Silva Secretary of the NOC.
“I am thrilled to lead our talented athletes to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“This is a momentous occasion for our nation, showcasing our commitment to excellence in sports on the world stage. Our athletes have trained tirelessly, embodying the spirit of perseverance and dedication. We are confident in their ability to make Sri Lanka proud, inspiring future generations. Together, we aim for success and celebrate the unity and strength of Team Sri Lanka,” said Chandana Liyanage Chef de Mission.
