Kaushalya Madushani

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Kaushalya Madushani
Personal information
Full nameKawshalya Madushani Edirippulilage
Born(1995-12-13)13 December 1995
Died24 April 2022(2022-04-24) (aged 26)
Dummalasuriya, Sri Lanka
EducationKuliyapitiya Central College
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)400 m hurdles, 4 × 400 metres relay
ClubSri Lankan Army
Coached byNalinda Senarath
Medal record
Representing  Sri Lanka
women's Athletics
South Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2019 Kathmandu 4×400m relay
Silver medal – second place 2019 Kathmandu 400m hurdles
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Guwahati 400m hurdles

Kaushalya Madushani (Sinhala: කෞෂල්‍යා මධුෂානි; 13 December 1995 – 24 April 2022), also known as Kawshalya Madushani Edirippulilage or Kaushalya Madhushani,[1] was a Sri Lankan track and field athlete who mainly competed in the hurdles event.[2] She was a five-time national champion in the women's 400m hurdles (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022).[3] She was the defending national champion in women's 400m hurdles prior to her death when she defended her title successfully in 2022. She was attached to the Sri Lankan Army.[4]

Career

During the 2014 Asian Junior Athletics Championships, she claimed a silver medal in the women's 400m hurdles event which was held in Taipei.[5] She clinched gold medal in the women's 400m hurdles event during the 2016 National Athletics Championships which was also her first national title and was subsequently selected as the best hurdler in the competition. She also claimed gold in the women's 400m hurdles during the 2016 National Sports Festival.[6][7]

She made her South Asian Games debut representing Sri Lanka in 2016.[8] She went on to claim her first South Asian Games medal in her maiden South Asian Games appearance when she won a bronze medal in the women's 400m hurdles.[5] She claimed her second national title at the 2017 National Athletics Championships which she successfully defended.[3]

She also represented Sri Lanka at the 2019 South Asian Games and claimed two medals in the multi-sport event including a gold in the women's 4 × 400 m relay team event (along with Omaya Udayangani, Gayanthika Abeyratne & Dilshi Kumarasinghe) and a silver in the women's 400m hurdles.[9] She achieved her personal best of 58.16 seconds in 2019. She achieved her third national title in women's 400m hurdles at the 2019 National Athletics Championships. She won the national title for the fourth time in women's 400m hurdles during the 2021 National Athletics Championships.[3]

In April 2022, she again emerged as the winner in the women's 400m hurdles category at the 100th National Athletics Championships with a timing of 58.73 seconds and it also marked her fifth national title.[10]

On 23 April 2022, one day before her death, she was conferred with the Glucolin Challenge Trophy for best hurdler in recognition of her notable performances at the 2022 National Athletics Championship.[11]

Personal life

Kaushalya Madushani was born on 13 December 1995.[7] She was a student athlete at Kuliyapitiya Central College, and she was coached by Nalinda Senarath.[3][7] She served as a lance corporal in the Sri Lankan Army.[12]

On 24 April 2022, Madushani was found dead at the age of 26 at her residence in Dummalasuriya after an awards ceremony.[5][11][13][14] Kuliyapitiya Police reported that she was found hanging inside her home.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kawshalya Madushani | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Kaushalya Madhushani | Profile | World Athletics". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Fernando, Reemus (25 April 2022). "Kaushalya found dead a day after winning Best Hurdler title". The Island. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka women's 400m hurdles champion commits suicide". www.colombopage.com. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Sri Lankan athlete Kaushalya Madushani dies by suicide". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Kaushalya Madhushani". Sri Lanka Athletics News & information Portal | Fixtures | Results. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Fernando, Lahiru (25 April 2022). "Tragic end to champion athlete's life". Daily News. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  8. ^ Kaluarachchi, Anjana (24 January 2015). "69 athletes and 20 officials have been included in the Sri Lankan contingent for the South Asian Games". Ceylon Today. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  9. ^ "South Asian Games: Sri Lanka secures 15 gold medals in athletics after 28 years". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 7 December 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  10. ^ "WATCH - Kaushalya Madushani wins the Women's 400m Hurdles National title". ThePapare.com. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  11. ^ a b "SL women's 400m hurdles champion dies by suicide, won championship yesterday". NewsWire. 24 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  12. ^ Rahaman, T. B. (30 April 2022). "Questions raised over hurdler's mysterious death". Sunday Observer. Sri Lanka. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  13. ^ Weerasinghe, Damith (24 April 2022). "400M Hurdles Champion Kaushalya Madhushani passes away". ThePapare.com. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  14. ^ Premalal, Susil (25 April 2022). "Sudden death of champion athlete Madushani shocks Sri Lanka athletics". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  15. ^ "Sri Lanka women's 400m hurdles champion found dead at home". Daily Mirror. Sri Lanka. 24 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022. Twenty five year old Kaushalya Madushani, who won several medals representing Sri Lanka in the women's 400m hurdles, was found dead after she allegedly committed suicide at her home in Dummalasuriya, Police said. ... She was found hanging inside her house.

External links