Chamali Priyadharshani, represented Sri Lanka at international meets in the long jump and 100 metre relays. She was awarded All Island School Colours for high jump. She also holds a recoerd at the National Sports Festival for long jump as well. And Chamali stepped into triple jump to prove her much cherished moment in her athletics career.

Chamali Priyadharshani, better known as NCD Priyadharshani in athletics circle, established a new National Record in triple jump at the Defence Services Games concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium last week. Her leap of 13.39 metres shattered the previous record of 13 metres held for seven years by former national champion, Anusha Ekneligoda.

"I knew that I could go for the triple jump record as I have achieved better leaps during training. It is a matter of being positive in mind to take a good leap," Priyadharshani whose pet event is long jump told ‘Sunday Island-Sportstar’ in an interview last week.

Her name was long been associated with long jump as she represented Sri Lanka in that particular event at international levels. But for those who have witnessed her feats at local athletics events that aren’t surprising such energetic sprinter leaping to a new national record.

"Triple jump was one of my favourite disciplines during the start of my career (2003-05) although I have not concentrated on that event as of late. It is not surprising for me to have achieved this mark," she explained.

She was first coached by Damayanthi Perera, a PTI teacher at her alma mater, Nalanda Balika, Minuwangoda. Priyadharshani first excelled at short distance events and high jump at school level.

In fact she made her first breakthrough at the national level with a good performance in high jump which naturally earned a place in the South Asian Games squad.

"Although I did well in high jump earlier, I happened to abandon it to concentrate more on 100 metres and long jump. I too gave up triple jump long before I abandoned high jump. I found those two disciplines fit me well. I gave up high jump somewhere around 2002 and 03."

"Later I dropped triple jump to concentrate more on the two disciplines."

Although Priyadarshani’s leap of 13.39 metres is a national record, it is well below the performance of a medal winner at Asian level. The Asian Athletics Championship held resently, saw the fifth placed Uzbekistan athlete clearing a distance of 13.46 metres. But Priyadarshani’s record breaking feat has taken the discipline to a new standard in Sri Lanka as it is being the first instance in a period of seven years that an athlete cleared a distance over 13 metres after Ekneligoda.

In a discipline that hardly provides opportunities, in the form of international exposure, what Priyadharshani has done with little practice is commendable. The event is not even included in South Asian Games where Priyadarshani represents the country in Long Jump.

Saman Kumara, the statistician of the Sri Lanka Athletic Association, said that those who have come closest to the mark were D.C.A. Dahanayake (2008) and Ruwina Rupasinghe and they could only hover around 12.75 metres.

Asked whether she fancied the idea of competing in triple jump in a regional meet, she said that it was a bit of a disappointment that this event is not even included in the South Asian Games.

She is currently trained by Chandana Amarasinghe and has completed ten years at Sri Lanka Navy. "I appreciate the support I get for my athletics endeavours from Navy. If not for the Navy, I wouldn’t have remained and make a positive impact in athletics so long. And I thank officials of all ranks in the Sri Lanka Navy who have helped my coach and I," said Priyadarshani in gratitude.