Champika Fernando reporting from London Olympic Games

Losing Sri Lankan swimmer at the Olympic Games Heshan Unamboowa confirmed yesterday he broke-down even before his event.

“I was so nervous and I never felt like that ever before,” he said. “So many things were running through my mind. All these years I have been swimming. This is what I have been looking for. I just couldn’t think what I am going to do at the race. That was something I had never felt before. I was under quite a lot of ressure,” the 20-year-old said.

The swimmer felt a slight pain in his left shoulder and was under medication since coming to London.

“I had physiotherapy treatment and pain killers but I did not clear off completely,” he said.

Unamboowa also said that his performance here in the London Games was a major opportunity to assess himself and be prepared for greater challenges as he looks forward to earn a slot at the next Olympics in Rio, Brazil in 2016.

“Now I know where I stand. Before talking of medals or making it to the finals at the Olympics we should look at how we should get to the next level. Make it to the finals or winning medals at Asian level. Then from there on we can take it to the next level. I would definitely want to qualify for the next Olympic Games. Since I am going to be training in the US I think I will be able to improve quite a bit and hopefully make the qualifying time rather than going as a wildcard. For this Olympics also I wanted to make the cut. I was one second away. I told myself I should make the cut for the next Olympics”, he said.

A protest march is being carried out from a prominent funeral parlour in Borella towards Temple Trees.

A 26 year old has died after drowning while bathing in the Kalu Ganga close to the Kalido beach in Kalutara, the Police Media Unit told Ceylon Today ...

Sudden change in the prevailing weather is expected. Until then few spells of showers are expected in the Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa and Central ...

An individual from the Hebarawewa area in Ginthora has died after being attacked by a wild elephant, the Police Media Unit told Ceylon Today Online.

Within a period of two weeks, the Central Bank has sold Rs 10.6 billion worth Treasury Bills, internal sources of the bank revealed.

The resumption of operations at the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery, which was shut down after the crude oil stocks in the country ran dry, has been further ...

The three Leftist ministers in the government, Prof. Tissa Vitarana, D.E.W. Gunasekera and Vasudeva Nanayakkara have expressed solidarity with the Tamil ...

The Monk who was transferred to the Colombo National Hospital after he sustained sever but injuries due to setting himself on fire close to the Sri Dalada ...

Animal welfare activists voice concern over the killing of 38 stray dogs in Buttala, just hours before the dawn of Vesak.

A vehicle belonging to Anuradhapura Acting Magistrate M.M.N.W. Kumarasinghe was destroyed by fire on 24 May at his empty residence.

An explosion on a school bus in eastern Pakistan Saturday has killed 16 children and one teacher.

Investigations have commenced into the unexplained death of a woman at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL), who had passed away while under ...

SOCIAL workers have welcomed the opening of the first Sri Lankan embassy in Bahrain, which will help its 25,000 nationals working in the kingdom.

The Samurdhi Authority has failed to remit the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) deductions of 2,700 Samurdhi officers to their individual accounts for one ...