Fitness session conducted by Veteran Athletic Couple of Sri Lanka Mr.Sunil Gunawardena and Ms.K.G. Badra at Vavuniya for U17 & U19 Cricket Players from Vavuniya, Mannar & Mullaitivu Districts.
They are two of the most outstanding sprinters Sri Lanka produced in the early 70s. Sunil Gunawardena was a product of St. Mary’s, Chilaw and K.G. Badra studied at Sangamitta College, Galle.
The Holder of the 100-metre national record for several years, Sunil Gunawardena was a member of the Sri Lanka men’s 4 x 400m relay team which won a gold medal at the Asian Games in Tehran in 1974. He represented Sri Lanka for over a decade at international competitions.He also represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in 1970, 1974 and 1978.
A former president of Athletics Association of Sri Lanka and former Deputy Director General (Sports) at the Ministry of Higher Education, Sunil Gunawardena was renowned for being the leading sprint coach in the country. Damayanthi Darsha, Mahesh Perera, Rohan Pradeep Kumara, Rohitha Pushpakumara and Prasanna Sampath Amarasekera are some of the international stars produced by Sunil Gunawardena.
Ms.K.G. Badra has the honour of being the first and only woman to represent Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1970. She also represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in 1974 and 1978 but despite qualifying for the 1972 Munich Olympics she could not participate because of ill health. Having joined the Sports Ministry as Sports Officer along with renowned athletic coaches Derwin Perera and S.M.G. Bandara in 1972, K.G. Badra later distinguished herself as an athletic coach and administrator, rising to become Additional Director of Sports before retiring after 37 years of service.
