Sri Lanka’s Olympic bid adjusts sans Matthew Abeysinghe

Sri Lanka is preparing for the World Aquatic Championship happening in Doha from February 2 to 18. A team of four swimmers from Sri Lanka is set to compete, with their journey beginning on February 9.Following the withdrawal of double Olympian Matthew Abeysinghe, third-ranked Kyle Abeysinghe steps in to join Akalanka Peiris, Ganga Seneviratne, and Hiruki de Silva.Initially, Matthew Abeysinghe and Akalanka Peiris secured their spots based on their high FINA points. However, with Matthew’s withdrawal, Kyle Abeysinghe, ranking third in FINA points for the 100m Freestyle, takes his place.In the women’s segment, Ganga Seneviratne and Hiruki de Silva are set to represent Sri Lanka. Ganga leads the country with 693 FINA points for the 100m Backstroke, while Hiruki holds 651 FINA points for the 200m Freestyle.

The team, accompanied by Team Manager SLASU General Secretary Mahinda Liyanage and Coach Manoj Abeysinghe, will depart on February 9 and return on February 19.While three swimmers train at Killer Whale Aquatics under coach Manoj Abeysinghe, Akalanka Peiris trains in Australia, adding diversity to their preparation.Participation in the ongoing World Championship is crucial for Olympic eligibility. From these swimmers, one boy and one girl will be selected to represent Sri Lanka at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Unfortunately, Matthew Abeysinghe will not be part of this year’s Olympic team

( Daily Mirror)