Shehan Ambepitiya was crowned as South Asia’s fastest man after the young Sri Lankan finished first in the men’s 100 meters event at the South Asian Games in Dhaka yesterday. Ambepitiya, who won gold medal at Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune in 2008, finished the 100 meter dash with a time of 10:46 seconds with India’s Abdul Najab winning silver medal clocking 10:56 seconds. Likma Ali of Pakistan secured bronze medal after coming third with a timing of 10:63 seconds.

India’s Najab, who also won the 200 meters final, was the hot favourite to win the 100 meter dash, but was stunned by the Sri Lankan.

“I have worked hard to achieve this feat. This moment is unforgettable, I saw myself ahead of others at the 50 meter mark and I started to say that if not this time then it would be never. I felt the thrust within myself and accelerated the speed from thereon”

“I am a devoted admirer of Usain Bolt and I follow his style and steps. The title has inserted more confidence in me to go forward and bring laurels to my country. My next target is the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, I don’t know where I will stop but being the fastest man of the subcontinent motivates me to repeat the feat again and again,” Ambepitiya said speaking to journalists after the event.

The women’s 100 meter event too had a surprise winner as Pakistan’s Nasim Fatima, making her first appearance in an international event, won Pakistan’s first ever international medal in a short distance event by a female athlete. She finished ahead of Sri Lanka’s Premila Priyadarshini marginally, with a timing of 11:81 seconds. Priyadarshini finished the event clocking 11:93 seconds. The bronze medal also was won by Sri Lanka with Achala Dias finishing the event with a timing of 12:12 seconds.

Sri Lanka were having high hopes of winning both the men’s and women’s 4×400 relays, but those hopes were shattered by the Indian teams. The Sri Lankans had to settle for silver medals in both events.

In this year’s South Asian Games, the Sri Lankans have won seven gold medals, five silver and eight bronze medals in athletic events, a steep decline from the last edition’s games, where they won a rich haul of medals when Colombo hosted the event. On that occasion in 2006, Sri Lanka won 14 gold medals, 12 silver and seven bronze in athletic events.