Sri Lanka names captain for Paris Olympics team

Hangzhou Asian Games women's javelin throw silver medalist, Dilhani Lekamge of Army SC, has been appointed captain of the Sri Lanka Athletic Team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

The event will take place from July 26 to August 11 in France.

Lekamge, 37, a former student of Mahinda College in Eheliyagoda, is the most experienced member of Sri Lanka's athletic contingent for the Paris Olympics. Her journey to the national squad began with remarkable performances at the All-Island School Games and the Sir John Tarbat Junior and Senior Athletic Championships.

Her achievements include silver medals at the 2017 Bhubaneswar Asian Senior Athletic Championships and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, and a bronze medal at the 2023 Bangkok Asian Athletic Championships. 

In addition, she secured fifth place in the women's javelin throw at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

Reliable sources from the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) indicate that Lekamge will also be appointed as the overall captain for the Sri Lankan contingent at the Paris Olympics. The official announcement is expected tomorrow.

Saman Gunawardena, Secretary of Sri Lanka Athletics, will manage the three-member Sri Lanka Athletic Team. Alongside the athletic team, Sri Lanka will also be represented by two swimmers and one badminton player at the Paris Olympic Games.