Sri Lanka’s 400m men’s, women’s and mixed relay teams secured second place at the 1st International Invitation Relay held in Chandigarh, India over the weekend.
In the mixed 4x400m relay led by Kalhara Indupa Silva, followed by Jithma Wijethunga and Aruna Darshana, kept Sri Lanka in front for much of the race. However, in the final 100m, anchor runner Nishendra Fernando was overtaken by India’s runner. India won the race and Sri Lanka had to satisfy with silver medal. Despite missing out on first place, Sri Lanka recorded an improved time of 3:19.58, bettering their performance.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka’s men’s 4x400m relay team fell short of beating India but still produced their second-fastest time in history, clocking 3:02.16 sec to finish second. However this performance is strong enough to secure qualification for the World Relays in Botswana, with official confirmation expected after the April 5 cut‑off date.
In this year’s world top list, India and Sri Lanka are ranked No. 2 and No.3 respectively, behind only the United States. India won the race in 3:01.43. The Sri Lankan team comprised Aruna Darshana, Kalhara Indupa, Pasindu Kodikara, and Sadew Wimansa.
The World Relays will take place in Botswana on May 2 and 3. The top eight teams from last year’s World Championships receive automatic qualification, while the next 16 teams are selected based on the 2026 world rankings.
Sri Lanka’s women’s 400m relay team comprised Nishendra Harshani, Jithma Shenari, Sayuri Lakshima, and Jayeshi Uththara clocked 3:36.94 secs to finish second behind India. Overall Sri Lanka 400 relay teams have performed well and they all got exposure in this Indian meet.
(Courtesy Ceylon Daily News)