By Harsha Amarasinghe

CT Sports: Representing Sri Lanka Sambo Association a six-member national squad took part in the inaugural Asian Sambo Championship which recently concluded at Ashgabat in Turkmenistan. Sambo acronym for SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya is a form of Russian Martial art and combat sport.

Despite being pretty inexperienced, the Sri Lankans were able to seal six bronze medals and finished eighth in the tournament where 17 teams competed.

The Sri Lankan team consisted of two men and four women who participated at this inaugural tournament. T.R. Fernando clinched bronze in the men’s weight category 78kg while H. Rodrigo won the bronze medal of the weight group 74kg.

In the women’s section M.G. Dilani was able to seal a bronze medal in the category 48kg, while Dinushika Priyadarshani added another bronze to the country’s tally in the 52kg group.

Dinesha Malkanthi (60kg) and Narmada Sandamali (68kg) were the others who were bronze medal winners for the country. All the national team members have represented the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) where they carried out their daily practices.

The President of the Sri Lanka Sambo Association believes that the support of the YMCA played a key role in the national side’s success in Turkmenistan

. “All the members did very well in the tournament and we are happy to be able to win six bronze medals. We should be very thankful to YMCA as they allowed these sportsmen and sportswomen to gain enough experience and practice,” he said.