Strongman Vidanage to lead Sri Lanka's hunt for success at gold coast Commonwealth games

Strongman Chinthana Vidanage will captain an 80-strong squad of athletes in 13 sports who will represent Sri Lanka at the 21st Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia from April 4-15.

A gold medalist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in the 62-kilogram category, the weightlifter will lead Team Lanka for the second time having been captain at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games.

“I’m deeply honored to be given the role of captain and hopefully I will be able to do well and lead from the front,” said Vidanage who will be taking part this time in the 77-kilogram category. He also won a silver medal at the 2010 New Delhi Games.

The 11-strong weightlifting squad will carry Team Lanka’s main medal hopes at the Commonwealth Games with officials targeting at least three medals.

But senior Sri Lanka National Olympic Committee official Maxwell De Silva tempered down expectations and said the more realistic target was for athletes to achieve their personal bests.

“It is mainly a learning curve for our athletes who will be looking at improving their personal standards at a big international event like this,” De Silva, Secretary General of the SLNOC commented.

More than 6,600 athletes and officials from 70 nations will take part in the 11 days of competition which will feature 275 events across 19 sports.

The rugby sevens squad, meanwhile, has made some last-minute changes after the Borneo Sevens a fortnight ago with Srinath Suriyabandara, Richard Dharmapala and Hirantha Perera coming into the 12-strong squad led by Sudarshan Muthuthantri.

The other sports Sri Lanka will be represented in are Athletics, Aquatics (both swimming and diving), Badminton, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis and Wrestling. The total delegation will be 119, including officials.

SRI LANKAN SQUAD

AQUATICS - SWIMMING

Male: Cherantha De Silva, Matthew Abeysinghe, Dimuth Peiris, Kyle Abeysinghe.

Female: Vinoli Kaluarachchi, Dilrukshi Perera.

AQUATICS - DIVING

Male: Sahan Peiris, Yashoda De Silva.

Officials: Chanaka Hashantha (Team Manager), Manoj Abeysinghe (Coach), Julian Bolling (Coach), Chanaka Duminda (Coach).

ATHLETICS

Male: Manjula Kumara, Sampath Ranasinghe, Vinoj De Silva, Himasha Eashan, Shehan Abeypitiyage, Mohamed Abdul Ladeef, Sumesh Wickramasinghe, Janaka Wimalasiri.

Female: W.K.L.A. Nimali, Gayanthika Thushari, Nadeesha Lekamge, Hiruni Wijeratne, Rumeshika Rathnayaka.

Officials: Nimalsiri Hewawitanage (Team Manager), Sunil Gunawardena (Coach), Miranda Luiz (Coach), Sajith Jayalal (Coach), Harshana Gunathilaka (Coach).

BADMINTON

Male: Buwaneka Dullewa, Dinuka Karunaratne, Niluka Karunaratne, Sachin Dias.

Female: Thilini Hendahewa, Kavidi Sirimannage, Hasini Ambalangodage, Madushika Dilrukshi.

Officials: Duminda Gamage (Team Manager, Men’s), Waruna Chamara (Team Manager, Women’s), Dhanesh Malliyawadu (Coach), Tony Wahyudi (Coach).

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Male: Asanka Kumara, Malintha Yapa.

Official: Jude Perera (Coach)

BOXING

Male: Ishan Bandara, Thiwanka Ranasinghe, Dinindu Saparamadu.

Female: Anusha Dilrukshi, Dulani Jayasinghe, Keshani Kasturiarachchi.

Officials: Dian Gomes (Coach), Harsha Kumara (Coach), Amila Thissera (Coach).

 

CYCLING

Male: Avishka Dilnuwan, Chamika Kumara.

Officials: Senaka Ranasinghe (Team Manager), Upali Ratnayake (Coach).

 

GYMNASTICS

Female: Samanali Gunathilaka, Amaya Kalukottage, Kaushini Gamage, Anna-Marie Ondaatje.

Officials: Svetlana Jkoukova (Coach), Monique Petricone (Medical Staff).

 

RUGBY SEVENS

Male: Sudarshan Muthuthantri, Danushka Ranjan, Danusha Dayan, Kavindu Perera, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Richard Dharmapala, Sudam Sooriyaarchchi, Naveen Henakankanamage, Tarinda Ratwatte, Rehan Silva, Adeesha Weerathunga, Hirantha Perera.

Officials: Peter Wood (Coach), Nicolas Groube (Trainer).

 

SHOOTING

Male: Dinesh Fernando, Upul Wijerathna.

Female: Sanduni Perera.

Official: Pradeep Edirisinghe (Manager).

 

SQUASH

Male: Ravindu Laksiri

Female: Mihiliya Methsarani

Official: C.H. Thalagala (Coach)

 

TABLE TENNIS

Male: Imesh Ranasingha, Rohan Sirisena, Nirmala Jayasinha.

Female: Ishara Darshika, Piumila Kapugeekiyana, Dilushika Warusawithana.

Officials: Chathura Jayendra (Team Manager), Wajira Wickramasinghe (Coach).

 

WEIGHTLIFTING

Male: Chathuranga Lakmal, Thilanka Kumara, Indika Dissanayake, Chinthana Vidanage, Shanaka Peters, Saman Abeywickrama, Ushan Charuka.

Female: Dinusha Gomas, Chamari Warnakulasuriya, Nadeeshani Rajapaksha, Chathurika Balage.

Officials: Ajith Warnakulasuriya (Team Manager), R. Wickramasinghe (Coach), Navindhra Dayan (Coach), Upul Jayathilaka (Coach).

 

WRESTLING

Male: Divoshan Fernando, Suresh Fernando.

Female: Deepika Weerabahu

Officials: Prageeth Priyanka (Manager), Jagath Piyaratna (Coach)

 

Sri Lanka NOC Staff: Chandana Liyanage (General Team Manager), Chandana Perera (Headquarters Official), Sunethra Weerasinghe (Lady chaperone), Kaushalya Danthanarayana (Admin Official)