Sri Lanka will compete in the rowing events for the first time when Mahesh Jayakody makes his entry at the Tokyo Paralympics in Japan from next week.
Jayakody, who represented the Army Special Force Sports Club, won a Gold Medal at the 2021 Asian Continental Regatta in Tokyo, which paved the way for him to obtain a place at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Earlier, Jayakody secured a Silver Medal in the Asian Para Championship in 2019 and has dominated this sport, at all major local tournaments.
Meanwhile, Lasantha Welikala will accompany Jayakody as the rowing coach for the Tokyo Paralympics. “We won our first medal in 2012 and second medal in 2016. We hope to double the number of medals in Tokyo,” President, National Paralympics Committee of Sri Lanka (NPCSL) Lt Colonel Deepal Herath told the Daily News yesterday. “Our main medal prospects are in athletics. Our expectation is for at least five athletes to compete for a medal by entering the finals going by their efforts and sacrifices to reach this level,” he concluded.