Western Province rider Avishka Madonsa emerged victorious in the men’s cycling race at the 50th National Sports Festival, while Dinesh Dilrukshi of the North Western Province claimed the women’s title.
Cyclists representing all nine provinces took part in the competition. Both the men’s and women’s events began with exhibition rides from the Ministry of Sports before the official races got underway.
The men’s race covered a distance of 165.6 kilometres, while the women’s event was contested over 71.5 kilometres.
Dinesh Dilrukshi completed the women’s race in 2 hours, 16 minutes and 3 seconds to secure the gold medal. Fellow North Western Province cyclist Sudarika Priyadarshani finished second, while Akasha Sandamini of Western Province claimed third place.
In the men’s event, Avishka Madonsa crossed the finish line in 3 hours, 56 minutes and 26 seconds to take the title. Prabash Madushanka, also representing Western Province, finished as runner-up, while Sandaruwan Pintu of North Western Province secured third place.
Western Province capped off a dominant campaign by winning the overall cycling team championship at this year’s National Sports Festival.
