SPORTING GREATS
TRAILBLAZERS IN SPORTS
Crowning glory for cricketer Chamari Athapaththu following the Asian Games exploits of Tharushi Karunarathna and Dilhani Lekamge
International Women’s Day holds profound significance in Sri Lanka as it commemorates the remarkable achievements and invaluable contributions of women across diverse domains – including the field of sports.
Leading by example, sportswomen epitomise the virtues of integrity, perseverance and fairness, both on and off the field. Their actions exemplify the essence of fair play, respect and dignity, thereby reinforcing the notion that success in sports transcends mere accolades, encompassing broader principles of ethical conduct and character.
In essence, the influence of sportswomen extends far beyond the confines of the sporting arena, resonating profoundly as a force for positive change and empowerment.
Through their unwavering dedication, resilience and leadership, women inspire individuals worldwide, leaving an indelible mark on the collective consciousness and embodying the transformative potential of sports as a vehicle for empowerment and social progress.
Recent years have witnessed a burgeoning acknowledgment of the pivotal role of gender equality and empowerment of women within the sporting arena. It serves as a pivotal juncture to spotlight the strides taken, and advocate fervently for enhanced inclusivity and opportunities for women in Sri Lankan sports.
The extraordinary athletes who have excelled across various sports disciplines serve as beacons of inspiration for aspiring young girls and women. Their unwavering dedication and resilience in pursuing their sporting dreams amid societal barriers and challenges exemplify the spirit of determination and fortitude.
Sri Lanka’s sportswomen have emerged as trailblazers in the sporting arena with their awe-inspiring individual performances.
As Asian netball champions, Sri Lanka stood tall at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town – albeit falling short of improving their ranking. They are yet to translate this dominance at the Asian level on the world stage; this is not due to a dearth of talent but rather, a lack of strategy to tackle the European heavyweights in a fast evolving physical sport.
Tharushi Karunarathna heralded a golden era for athletics in Sri Lanka with her phenomenal run at the 19th Asian Games in August last year. In the annals of Sri Lankan sports history, her name shines brightly as a testimony to the power of perseverance, dedication and raw talent.
The 19-year-old lass from Kandy not only etched her name in gold but has become a beacon of hope and inspiration for athletes across the nation. LMD’s annual Sri Lankan Of The Year award for 2023 for bestowed on her for this reason.
Karunarathna’s journey to the Asian Games was fraught with challenges and obstacles but she refused to be deterred. Through sheer grit and determination, she overcame adversity, pushing herself to the limit in pursuit of her ultimate goal – to stand atop the podium as a champion in the women’s 800 metres final.
In a display of unparalleled athleticism and skill, she surged ahead of her rivals, crossing the finish line in a blaze of glory to claim the coveted gold medal.
The magnitude of her feat is even more remarkable considering she was not even born when Sri Lanka last won a gold medal at the Asian Games. It came 21 years after Susanthika Jayasinghe (women’s 100 metres) and Damayanthi Dharsha (women’s 400 metres) won gold medals at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan.
Dilhani Lekamge triggered the medals rush by ending Sri Lanka’s track and field medal drought at the Asian Games, winning the silver medal in the women’s javelin throw.
The athlete became the first Sri Lankan since 2006 to win a medal in track and field events at Asian Games as she hurled the javelin a distance of 61.57 metres in her fourth attempt. With this, she broke her own national record and that mark briefly elevated her to the top position before she was overtaken by India’s Annu Rani (whose throw of 62.92 metres was judged to be the best of the evening).
The 37-year-old is also the first Sri Lankan (male or female) to win a medal in a throwing event at the quadrennial games and joins a select number of Sri Lankan athletes to have won a medal in an individual event at the Asian Games.
She became the 12th Sri Lankan athlete to win an individual medal of any colour in track and field at the Asian Games.
Both Karunarathna’s and Lekamge’s next target is to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, which is not an unrealistic goal. Without getting her priorities mixed up, Karunarathna’s hopes to get back on track after recovering from a hamstring injury following her A-level examination.
Ranked No. 25 in the world, Lekamge is determined to book her flight to Paris once the trials begin in March. “My dream is to qualify for the Olympics,” says the staff sergeant of the Sri Lanka Army Women’s Corps and native of Parakaduwa in Ratnapura. She displays tough as nails resolve and counts 17 years in the regiment.
“When I saw Tharushi Karunarathna winning the gold and Dilhani Lekamge a silver, it was so inspiring; it is very rewarding when I see these girls going and winning,” says veteran ladies’ golfer Niloo Jayathilaka.
She asserts: “We are working on gender equity to give girls opportunities. Medals are mostly won by females but the pool of female athletes is limited. We’re not harnessing the talent; we could do multiples of that if more girls come into sports.”
“We want girls to come and play any kind of sport. We’re working with two sports, one of them being volleyball. We came up with the Pink Ball Volleyball programme, which was introduced in the Sabaragamuwa Province, and many girls’ schools attended and played. We want girls to participate, whether they excel or not, to make sports a fashion among them,” Jayathilaka adds.
The feats of para-athletes Janani Dhananjana and Kumudu Priyanka – who won silver and bronze medals respectively in the T47 long jump category at the Asian Para Games where Sri Lanka clinched six medals – is testimony to how sports contribute to mental wellbeing by reducing stress, anxiety and depression, and promoting overall mental health.
Even as Sri Lanka’s athletes dazzled on the track and field at the Asian Games, Chamari Athapaththu virtually waged a lone crusade to put women’s cricket on the world map. Snubbed by the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in India, she made waves down under in the Women’s Big Bash League, being crowned the ‘Player of the Tournament.’
Turning out for Sydney Thunder, Athapaththu won a tight race by a single vote over Adelaide Strikers opener Katie Mack for the award, voted on a ‘3-2-1’ basis by the standing umpires in each match.
Athapaththu finished second on the runs table for the regular season with a tally of 511 at an average of 42.58, striking at 129.69 – an incredible return for a player overlooked in the inaugural overseas player draft, following similar snubs at the WPL and The Hundred.
She also picked up nine wickets with her off spin including 20 for 3 against the Sydney Sixers and maintained an economy rate of 6.79.
Moreover, the 33-year-old Sri Lanka captain played a pivotal role in leading her side to a historic series win over New Zealand, securing a 2-1 victory in the One Day International (ODI) series between the teams.
Chamari’s remarkable innings included unbeaten knocks of 108 and 140 in the two wins against New Zealand, proving instrumental in clinching the series. Notably, in the third match, she notched a century off a mere 29 balls – a new record as the fastest century by a Sri Lankan and the fourth fastest in women’s ODI history.
With a career spanning 98 ODIs, Athapaththu has established an impressive record, amassing 3,255 runs at an average of 34.26. Her highest score of an unbeaten 178, coupled with eight centuries and 15 half-centuries, bears testimony to her consistent and impactful contributions to Sri Lankan cricket.
The crowning glory for Athapaththu was being honoured as the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2023, marking an exceptional 12 months in her cricketing journey. This recognition is a testament to her skill, dedication and leadership on the cricketing field, bringing pride and acclaim to Sri Lanka’s cricketing community.
This remarkable journey of southpaw Athapaththu began when she made her T20I debut against India in June 2009, followed by her ODI debut less than a year later. And her international ton in her 11th ODI came against Ireland (in only her seventh ODI innings), also making her the first and only Sri Lankan woman to have scored an ODI hundred.
Athapaththu’s spectacular 178 against Australia in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 became the second-highest individual score in Women’s World Cup history.
Hailing from Gokarella in Kurunegala, she was inspired at around the age of seven after seeing former Sri Lanka great Sanath Jayasuriya battering bowlers into submission during the 1996 ODI Cricket World Cup.
She began her career at Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club and captained her school Ibbagamuwa Central College before moving to Colts Cricket Club at 17.
By 2008, she was picked as a standby in the Women’s Asia Cup squad in which Sri Lanka, led by Shashikala Siriwardene, were runners-up to India but had to withdraw because of her father’s demise.
“I believe that there will be only one Chamari. She is unique and incomparable, and always wants to do and achieve things that no one has. The hunger inside her has spread to the other players in the team. Fearless cricket is one more thing that she’s added to the current team,” Siriwardene says, paying a glowing tribute to her former teammate.
Siriwardene – who is now a high-performance coach at Sri Lanka Cricket and head coach of the Sri Lanka Women Under-19s team – surmises: “Because of Chamari’s playing style, young players have started to believe they can beat any team, and achieve any task through belief and hard work. She proved that by becoming No. 1 in the ODI rankings.”
