No hurdles for triple Olympian Kulawansa
Sriyani Kulawansa
It was with some reluctance, even a feeling of trepidation, that I initiated an interview with one of the most eminent female athletes this country has produced. She was at the All Island Relay Carnival at the Bogambara Stadium in her capacity as a Project Officer at the Ministry of Physical Education at Sports. I need not have bothered. Sriyani Kulawansa, for that is her name, put me at ease straightaway. Her finer moments in local and international athletics gushed out one after another without a trace of arrogance and affection. A Pressman’s dream she certainly was.
The Kulawansa story begins in Melsiripura, in a village named Ragedera. (Sriyani was insistent that I mention her roots!).
She received her education at Ibbagamuwa Central College, one of the original and premier educational institutions in the country. Not being very selective, and possibly, the school was short of star performers, she dabbled in High Jump, Long Jump, Hurdles and Relays. For good measure, she also played Volleyball and Netball. In fact, back 1989, she forced herself in National Pools at the same time – Athletics, Netball and Volleyball were the disciplines involved. Initially she was coached by the school P.T.I. Sriyani Pushpalatha. The fine tuning came later on at the hands of Derwin Perera and the late Lakshman de Alwis.
As it was not possible to excel in both events – the High Jump and the Hurdles at International level, she was compelled to bid goodbye to the former. However, at the 1991 SAF Games held in Colombo, she won gold in both her events. In all the SAF competitions from 1991 to 2004, she succeeded in winnings Golds in the Hurdles and Relay events Her career as an international athlete spanned the period 1989 – 2004. In that time Sriyani participated in the Olympic Games of 1992 (Barcelona), 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney). Her best time in the 100 metres hurdles (12.91) was recorded at the Atlanta Games where she was edged out of the spot in the semi-finals by a German girl.
Sriyani also took part in the World Championships held in Stuttgart (1993), Gothenburg (1995), Athens (1997) , Seville (1999) and Edmonton (2001). She ran in the semi-final in Spain in 1999 and returned a time of 12.94 in the semis. Coming down a peg or two, Sriyani was able to win a Bronze, Gold and Silver at the Asian Championships held in the Philippines, Jakarta and Japan in 1993, 1995 and 1999 respectively. In all she participated in five Asian Championships. The Asian Games brought forth a fourth place at Hiroshima (1994), and Bronze medals at Bangkok and Korea in 1998 and 2002 respectively. The 1990s and the early years of this century are considered the last Golden Era of Sri Lankan Athletics.
The phenomenal Susanthika Jayasinghe, Damayanthi Dharsha, Sugath Tillekeratne and Sriyani Kulawansa were the pre-eminent athletes of that period. Asked by the Sunday Times as to how that Golden Era came about, Sriyani says there was an “Athletics fever” then. These athletes wanted to win, somehow. Merely turning out or going on tours was not their aim. Making a point about the sport then and now, Sriyani says that at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney there were fifteen competitors in Athletics from Sri Lanka. Today, the Rio Games are but two months away and only three Sri Lankan athletes (Anuradha Cooray, Geethani Rajasekera in the Marathon, Sumeda Ranasinghe in the Javelin Throw) have qualified.
Another way of looking at it is that Chintaka de Soysa’s 100 metres record of 10.29 was broken by Himasha Eashan (10.26) a few months back. De Soysa’s record was set in 1996, midyear. Sriyani is an ardent Tennis fan and says that if her school had facilities for that sport, she would have done it at the expense of her other sports – even Athletics. What of Sriyani, the wife, mother and coach? Happily married to a former 800 metres Sri Lankan record-holder Chandrasiri Fonseka (who is attached to the school by the sea as a Sports Coordinator). Sriyani says her happiest moment of all was when she gave birth to her first and only child. Sriyani looks after various athletic pools but is not into coaching a school team. An ex banker (Hatton National Bank) of fifteen years standing, she has no time to spare in a very busy world.