Competitors from India and Sri Lanka continued to push their limits to earn podium finish on the third and final day of the fourth edition of South Asian Athletics Championships at Birsa Munda (Morabadi) Stadium on Sunday.
Despite a tough fight, home team had an advantage. India added eight more gold medals to their tally on Sunday to win overall championships with 20 gold medals. India won equal number of silver medals and 18 bronze to take home the overall trophy.
Sri Lanka, despite winning eight gold medals on the final day finished second in the medal tally. Sri Lanka won 16 gold medals. Fourteen silver and ten bronze to settle for second place.
Indian contingent began Sunday with a gold medal in the men's 400m hurdles, but at the throwing
arena spotlight was on two Sri Lankan.
Sri Lanka's star javelin thrower and national record holder (86.50m) Pathirage Rumesh T raced to victory in the men's javelin throw with a distance of 84.29m. "It was good day for me in Ranchi as I was able to win gold medal for my team," Pathirage said who finished seventh at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Sri Lankan had a series of 73.34m, 81.73m, 84.29m, 81.99m, 81.98m, no mark.
India's Uttam Patel finished third. Patel's opening throw of 76.30m earned him bronze. Patel's next four attempts were no mark. His sixth and final attempt was 70.21m.
"I've ankle pain. It got aggravated and I wasn't able to do my best," Patel said in post-event interaction.
Sri Lanka's Hatarabage Leka won the women's javelin throw title (60.14m).
Meanwhile, several meet records were erased on the final day.
Results (Third day)
Men
200m: Sandeep Singh (India) 21.23 seconds, Rajamuni Indusara (Sri Lanka) 21.42 seconds, Prathik Maharana (India) 21.44 seconds.
800m: DM Harsha S Karuna (Sri Lanka) 1:51.96 seconds, Som Bahadur Kumal (Nepal) 1:52.03 seconds, Mogali Venkatram (India) 1:52.37 seconds.
10,000m: Abhishek Pal (India) 30:29.46 seconds, Rajan Rokaya (Nepal) 30:39.15 seconds, Prince Kumar (India) 31:17.37 seconds.
400m hurdles: Ruchit Mori (India) 50.10 seconds (meet record. previous record 50.72 seconds by P Shankar), Kuda Liyanage A (Sri Lanka) 50.29 seconds, Karna Bag (India) 51.06 seconds.
Javelin throw: Pathirage Rumesh T (Sri Lanka) 84.29m (meet record. previous meet record of 75.37m by J Singh (India) in 1998), Ranasinghe M (Sri Lanka) 81.62m, Uttam Patil (India) 76.30m.
Hammer throw: Damneet Singh (India) 66.99m, Ashish Jakhar (India) 64.68m, KK Damith MD (Sri Lanka) 46.55m.
Long jump: Mohd Sazid (India) 7.68m, Unagolla D (Sri Lanka) 7.56m, Suran Payasingh (India) 7.52m.
4x400m relay: Sri Lanka 3:05.12 (meet record. previous 3:08.93, India 3:05.38, Bangladesh 3:15.
Women
200m: Mohammad Yamick (Sri Lanka) 23.58 seconds (meet record. previous record 23.90 seconds by PT Usha in 1997), Sakshi Chavan (India) 23.91 seconds, Neeru Pathak (India) 24.06 seconds.
800m: Amandeep Kaur (India) 2:04.66 seconds, Kodithuwakku T (Sri Lanka) 2:06.51 seconds, Thotha Sankeertana (India) 2:07.09 seconds.
10,000m: WA Methmi Rasa (Sri Lanka) 34:39.95 seconds (meet record. Previous record of 38:04.48 by Y Kumari set in 1998), Ravina Gayakwad (India) 34:45.47 seconds, Santoshi Shrestha (Nepal) 34:47.77 seconds.
400m hurdles: KH Arachchige Dasun (Sri Lanka) 58.66 seconds (meet record. previous record 59.35 seconds by V Leelavathy in 2008), Loku Geeganage A (Sri Lanka) 59.24 seconds, Olimba Steefi (India) 1:00.21 seconds.
High jump: Reet Rathor (India) 1.76m, Gamage Ranindi P (Sri Lanka) 1.74m, Supriya B (India) 1.74m.
Long jump: Herath Mudiyans (Sri Lanka) 6.23m, Mubassina Mohammed (India) 6.07m, Bhavani Yadav (India) 6.02m.
Javelin throw: Hatarabage Leka (Sri Lanka) 60.14m (meet record. previous record 51.70m by B L Nadeeka), Karishma Sanil (India) 55.06m, Deepika (India) 54.87m.
4x400m relay: India 3:34.70 seconds (meet record. previous record, Sri Lanka 3:35.71, Bangladesh 3:55.63 seconds.
South Asian Athletics Championships Medal Tally
India - 58 (20 Gold, 20 Silver, 18 Bronze)
Sri Lanka - 40 (16 Gold, 14 Silver, 10 Bronze)
Nepal - 6 (2 Silver, 4 Bronze)
Bangladesh - 3 (All Bronze)
Maldives - 1 (Bronze)
Bhutan - 0
