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Jayasinghe seventh fastest in first round
The facilities at the Games Village are in a sorry state, laments Susanthika
Channaka de Silva reporting from France
France may boast one of the world's better public transport system, but Sri Lanka's star athlete Susanthika Jayasinghe is not impressed by it. Jayasinghe is also disappointed by the facilities available for athletes at the athletes' village of the Ninth World Athletic Championships.

"It takes more than an hour to get from the Games Village to the Stadium. We have to walk, take a train and then take a bus. This the worst of all the international meets I have ever attended" Jayasinghe who has represented Sri Lanka at numerous athletic meets around the world in a career of nearly ten years, told 'The Sunday Times'.

"Even the facilities at the village are in a sorry state. The rooms are tiny. Food is horrible. I must frankly say I have been to better organised events" Jayasinghe said. Earlier on the opening day the organisers of the championships issued an official press release refuting "rumours in circulation" that the American team is not happy with the facilities at the Games Village and are preparing to leave.

This official communique quoted American team chief as saying that they have no problems with the village facilities and they are not planning to leave the village. However the incident indicate on the previous day that there could be something wrong with the village facilities, and Jayasinghe only confirmed it.

Jayasinghe had entirely forgotten about the heat-wave that had reportedly accounted for more than 5000 lives and complained of cold conditions as well after finishing second to reigning world champion Zhanna Block in the heat four of the women's 100 metres first round which consisted of eight heats.

"It was unbelievably cold this morning" she said. Jayasinghe clocked a seasonal best 11.20 secs. while Block timed 11.13 secs. to indicate her arrival of form at the right time after an average season.

Chandra Sturrup of Bahamas was fastest in the first round clocking 11.08 secs. while Jayasinghe was the seventh fastest in the first round. "Anyway I don't think much about this event. I concentrate on my main event - the 200 metres. If I achieve a good time in this event, then I will have a good chance in the 200 metres" she said.

She declined to say anything about her prospects in the 100 metres quarter finals. "We'll run and see" she said with a smile and added that she actually had very little hope on the 100 metres. "I have no big hopes on the 100 metres. My favourite event is the 200 and I will concentrate only about it" she said.

Peace Trophy for St. Xavier's

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A.S. Morris of St. Xavier's Boys College Mannar heads the ball closely followed by B. Kedinbaro of St. Patrick's College Jaffna. St. Xavier's won the match 4-3 on penalties to win the Peace Trophy Football Tournament organised by St. Peter's College, Bambalapitiya yesterday. Pic by Ranjith Perera.

St. Xavier's College, Mannar won the inaugural inter-school peace trophy soccer tournament when they defeated St Patrick's College, Jaffna in a penalty shoot out by 4/3 in the final played at St Peter's College grounds in Bambalapitiya. The soccer tournament was organized by the soccer unit of the Sports Board of St. Peter's College which began on August 18 with six teams from the north east and St. Peter's as the seventh team.

The Xavierites playing some top brand soccer were billed as the favourites to lift the trophy and this they confirmed it when they entered the final defeating the host side St. Peter's by four goals to three while St Patrick's entered the overcoming Hartley College one nil.

The final between St Xavier's and St Patrick's had all the ingredients with both the teams playing top class soccer and giving the spectators the much needed exposure of how the game is being played in the one war torn territory. Eventually the match ended a scoreless draw. (MSA)

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