Honestly, if you just looked at the medal table for the Paris 2024 Games, you might skim right past Sri Lanka. Ranked 75th. One silver medal. It doesn't exactly scream "sporting superpower," does it?
But that's the thing about the Sri Lanka 2024 Paralympics campaign—the numbers are a total lie. Or at least, they don't tell the whole truth.
When Samitha Dulan Kodithuwakku stood on that podium at the Stade de France, he wasn't just holding a silver medal. He was holding a world record. You read that right. He won silver, but he broke the world record in his specific category (F44) with a massive throw of 67.03 meters.
How do you break a world record and still come in second?
Well, it’s basically down to how the Paralympic categories are grouped together for certain finals. Dulan was competing in the F64 javelin final, which mixes athletes with different types of lower limb impairments. While India’s Sumit Antil took the gold with a staggering 70.59m (an F64 record), Dulan’s 67.03m became the new benchmark for the F44 class. It’s wild. He beat the previous world record of 66.49m—which, by the way, he also held.
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The Small Squad That Punched Way Above Its Weight
Sri Lanka only sent eight athletes to Paris. Seven men, one woman. They competed across just three sports: athletics, swimming, and wheelchair tennis. When you're such a small contingent, every single performance feels like a "do or die" moment.
You’ve got guys like Nuwan Indika, who basically became a local hero overnight. He finished 5th in the Men’s 100m T44 final. He clocked 11.67 seconds, which was his seasonal best. Watching the replay, you can see how close he was; in a race that fast, a blink is the difference between a medal and a "thanks for coming."
Then there's Palitha Bandara. He’s a beast in the shot put (F63). He threw a personal best of 14.51 meters to finish 5th. Think about that for a second. These athletes aren't just showing up; they are performing better on the biggest stage in the world than they ever have in their lives.
Why These Results Actually Matter for 2026 and Beyond
If you're wondering why we’re still talking about this in 2026, it’s because the "Paris Effect" has completely changed the landscape for para-sports in Sri Lanka.
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For a long time, para-athletics in the country was something that happened in the shadows. Most of these athletes are veterans—men like Dulan and Nuwan Indika were injured during their military service. For years, the support system was mostly within the Army. But Paris changed the "pity" narrative into a "power" narrative.
People finally started seeing these guys as elite athletes first, and disabled second.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Funding
There’s this common misconception that these athletes are drowning in sponsorships now. Kinda wish that were true. While the Ministry of Sports and the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) did step up, the reality is still pretty tough.
Suresh Dharmasena, who played wheelchair tennis in Paris, had to grind through rounds just to get noticed. He won his first match against Austria's Josef Riegler (6-1, 6-3) before hitting a wall against the legendary Gordon Reid. The gap between a "developing" para-sport nation and the giants like the UK or China isn't talent—it's the tech. The chairs, the prosthetic blades, the specialized coaching—it costs a fortune.
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The 2024 Roster: Who Was There?
- Athletics: Samitha Dulan Kodithuwakku (Javelin), Nuwan Indika (100m), Anil Prasanna Jayalath (100m), Palitha Bandara (Shot Put), Pradeep Somasiri (1500m), and Janani Dhananjana (Long Jump).
- Swimming: Naveed Raheem. He’s only 19 and finished 10th in the 400m Freestyle S9. Keep an eye on him for LA 2028.
- Wheelchair Tennis: Suresh Dharmasena.
Janani Dhananjana deserves a massive shout-out as the only woman in the squad. She finished 9th in the T47 Long Jump. Being the solo female voice in a high-pressure environment like that is a lot of weight to carry, but she cleared nearly 5 meters (4.96m) under the bright lights of Paris.
What’s Next? Actionable Steps for Sri Lankan Sports
If we want to see more than one medal at the next Games, the "wait and see" approach won't work. We've seen the potential. Here is what needs to happen:
- Diversify the Talent Pool: We can't just rely on the Army para-games. There’s a whole world of civilian talent with disabilities that hasn't been tapped into yet because the infrastructure in rural schools just isn't there.
- Corporate Synergy: If you’re a brand in Sri Lanka, sponsoring a para-athlete isn't just "charity." It’s high-visibility marketing. Dulan’s world record was covered by every major international outlet. That's a missed opportunity for local brands.
- Upgrade the Gear: Dulan was gifted a new, high-tech javelin by the Prime Minister's office after his win. That's great, but athletes need that gear before the Games, not as a reward for winning without it.
- Follow the 2025/2026 Circuit: Don't just wait for the Paralympics. Watch the World Para Athletics Championships. Pradeep Somasiri already started 2025 strong by shattering the Asian record in the 1500m (T46) in New Delhi. The momentum is already building.
The Sri Lanka 2024 Paralympics wasn't a one-off fluke. It was a proof of concept. One silver medal might look lonely on a shelf, but when it’s backed by a world record and a handful of Top 5 finishes, it’s actually a warning to the rest of the world: Sri Lanka is coming.