Sri Lanka Placed In The Medal Tally – Best Ever 01 Silver ( Para ) & 03 Bronze

CGF XX11 Commonwealth Games 2022 – Birmingham, Warwickshire, England – concluded after 12 days

Silver : Cpl Palitha Bandara – Para Discus Throw – Men 30 years – F 42 – 44 / F 61 – 64 : F 42 category 44.20 M – Personal Best – 05th Attempt 02nd in competition – lone Para Athlete in team First Sri Lankan to win a medal in Para – Sports at the Commonwealth Games

Bronze : Dilanka Isuru Kumara – 26 years Weightlifting – 55 Kgs Men – 225 Kgs Snatch – 105 Kgs ( 02nd attempt ) Clean & Jerk – 120 Kgs ( 01st attempt ) Won the first medal for Team Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022

Yupun Priyadharshana Abeykoon – 27 years 100 M Men – Final – Lane 02 – 10.14 sec Semi Final 3 – Lane 7 – 04th – 10.20 sec Heat 6 – Lane 05 – 01st – 10.06 sec
He became the fastest ever in Heats in this event in the history of the Commonwealth Games. An Athletics event medal at the Commonwealth Games after 24 years. The first ever 100 M medal for a Sri Lankan sprinter at the Commonwealth Games.

Nethmi Ahinsa Poruthotage – 18 years Wrestling – 57 Kgs Freestyle – Women Bronze Medal Match – beat Irene Symeonidis ( Australia ) 10 – 0 VSU Quarter Final – beat Joseph Essombe Ticko ( Cameroon ) VFO Semi Final – lost to Anshu Malik ( India ) 0 – 10 VSU Youngest ever medalist at the Commonwealth Games for Sri Lanka. Also the first ever to win a medal for the island nation at the Commonwealth Games.

Gayanthika Abeyratne – 35 years 800 M Women – Round One – Heat 02 – Lane 04 05th – 02 min 01.20 sec – Personal Best – did not advance

Sarangi Silva – 26 years Long Jump Women – Qualifying – Group B – 6.42 M – 06th Final – 6.07 M – 13th & last First Sri Lankan to qualify for the Final in this event at the Commonwealth Games

The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka sent a contingent of 110 Athletes & 37 Officials for 13 Sports representing Team Sri Lanka. 06 Medical Staff, 05 Administration Officers, 04 Management Officers & 10 Media representatives were accredited to participate at the Birmingham 2022 Games. The Flag bearers at the Opening Ceremony were Women’s Cricketer – Chamari Jayangani Atapattu together with Men’s Weightlifter – Indika Chathuranga Dissanayake. Weightlifter Dilanka Isuru Kumara was privileged to carry the Sri Lanka flag during the Closing Ceremony. Maj. Gen. Dampath Fernando functioned as the Chef de Mission.

Sri Lanka first participated at the 111 Commonwealth Games in 1938, when it was held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was known as Ceylon, then. The country has missed participating on 03 occasions. In 17 Games, the country has aggregated 04 Gold, 09 Silver & 11 Bronze medals. The highest grab of medals was in 2018 at the Gold Coast Games in Queensland, Australia when 01 Silver & 05 Bronze ( 06 medals ) were won.

Team Sri Lanka were placed 31st in the final medal tally with 43 of the nations winning at least 01 medal.

Images courtesy Gamini Jayasinghe

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