54th Army Athletics Championship

Dilip Ruwan returned a customary 46.45 seconds to win men’s 400 metres.

Nilani Ratnayake was adjudged the best athlete in the women’s category.

Leading national sprinter Dilip Ruwan bagged the sprint double of 200 metres and 400 metres and South Asian Games 100 metres record holder Himasha Eshan crashed to a below par 10.64 seconds’ finish as the 54th Army Athletics Championship concluded with Sri Lanka Electrical Mechanical Engineers winning the men’s title at Diyagama on Thursday.

On a day that was notable for impressive 400 metres performances of both Ruwan and Upamali Ratnakumari, disaster struck Eshan as he was beaten in the men’s 100 metres final by Yupun Abeykoon who returned a time of 10.47 seconds to win.

Ruwan, who won the 200 metres on day one, returned a customary 46.45 seconds to win the men’s 400 metres. Ratnakumari clocked 53.68 seconds to win the women’s 400 metres.

Men’s 1500 metres was won by G. R. Chathuranga who clocked 3:52.77 seconds. In the corresponding women’s event Champika Dilrukshi returned a time of 4:26.41 seconds to win.

Lional Samarajeewa who finished third in the 5000 metres, made amends in the 10.000 metres yesterday as he clocked 31:35.8 seconds to win.

Steeplechase athlete Nilani Ratnayake and long jumper Prasad Wimalasiri were awarded the best athlete titles in the women’s and men’s categories respectively.

Ratnayake established a new meet-record in her pet event when she clocked 10:13.12 seconds to win.

Wimalasiri, who produced a wind-assisted 8.13 metres in the men’s long jump was adjudged the best athlete in the men’s category for his legitimate 7.91 metres in the same event.

SLEME aggregated a total of 302 points to comprehensively beat former stronghold Artillery Regiment to the runner-up position. They collected 238 points.

In the women’s competition, Sixth Women’s Corps won the championship with an aggregate of 333 points. The Second Women’s Corps finished a distant second with 179 points.