21st Commonwealth Games concludes with new medal record for Sri Lanka

COLOMBO (News 1^st) - The 21^st Commonwealth Games concluded in Australia, today (April 15). The 22^nd games are to be held in England in 2022. Athletes from 71 countries and territories participated in the 21^st Commonwealth Games held over a period of 11 days featuring 275 events in 19 sports. 80 athletes represented Sri Lanka at this years Commonwealth Games. Hosts Australia topped the medals table with 80 gold medals, 59 silver and 59 bronze for a total of 198 medals. England was placed second with 45 gold medals while India came in third with 26 gold medals. Sri Lanka was placed 31^st with one silver and five bronze medals. This marks Sri Lanka's best performance at the Commonwealth games since the country won three medals at the 1950 empire games, the predecessor of the modern commonwealth games. Sri Lanka won one silver and a bronze medal in the weightlifting events and three bronze medals in the boxing events. Weightlifter Indika Dissanayake won silver for the country in his event, while Chathuranga Lakmal and Dinusha Gomes won bronze in their weightlifting events. Anusha Kodituwakku became the first Sri Lankan woman to win a medal in a boxing event, taking home the bronze in her weight category. Boxers Thiwanka Ranasinghe and Ishan Bandara also took home bronze medals in their events. The final event in which Sri Lanka participated, the women's marathon was held today. Sri Lanka's Hiruni Wijeyratne completed the marathon in 2 hours 49 minutes and 38 seconds, coming in 11^th. Deepika Pallikal Karthik, the wife of Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik, and compatriot Saurav Ghosal won silver for India in the squash mixed doubles. Deepika also took home a second silver medal after she and Joshna Chinappa qualified for the final of the women's doubles event.