Janani Dananjana Wickramasinghe Carries Sri Lanka’s Medal Hopes in Three Events at the Asian Para Games 2026
AI-generated illustration, not an authentic photograph of Janani Dananjana Wickramasinghe. No authentic photograph of Janani was available for embedding.
As Sri Lanka’s para-athletes prepare for the 5th Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, sprinter and long jumper Janani Dananjana Wickramasinghe will enter the competition as one of the country’s leading prospects in the women’s events. Her record includes an Asian Para Games silver medal, while a personal-best sprint performance at the Commonwealth Games demonstrated how closely she is contending with the region’s and Commonwealth’s leading athletes.
The Games are scheduled for 18–24 October 2026. Janani is set to compete in the T47 classification, where her events call for both acceleration on the track and the technical control required to approach and take off effectively in the long jump. She will be hoping to build on her previous international performances, though, as with every athlete in a highly competitive field, medals remain a possibility rather than a prediction.
The event information in SriLankaSports.com’s coverage identifies her entries in the women’s T47 100 metres and long jump. An eLanka Facebook post names her as Janani Dananjana Wickramasinghe and also reports that she qualified for the women’s 200 metres. As the available Games programme lists the 100m and long jump, the 200m should be treated as reported by the Facebook post, rather than as confirmed by the official event listings cited here.
A record built across track and field
Janani’s previous Asian Para Games result gives her campaign a strong foundation. At the 2023 Games in Hangzhou, she won silver in the women’s T47 long jump, securing a place among the competition’s leading athletes in the event. That achievement is especially significant as she returns to the continental stage with experience of the demands and atmosphere of a major multi-sport competition.
Her sprinting record adds another important dimension. In the women’s T47 100m at the Commonwealth Games, Janani finished fourth in 12.50 seconds, a personal best. She missed the bronze-medal position by just 0.04 seconds. The result did not bring a medal, but it provides a clear measure of her progress and the fine margins separating finalists at this level.
SriLankaSports.com reported that Janani would compete in both the 100m and long jump in Japan, and described her as a leading medal prospect among Sri Lanka’s women athletes. Her hopes of converting past performances into further success will rest on her preparations and execution on the day, against a strong international field.
The demands of her two confirmed events differ substantially. In a sprint, the start, rhythm and sustained speed over a short distance are central; in the long jump, approach speed must be managed alongside timing, take-off and control in the air. Preparing for both requires versatility and discipline, and Janani’s presence in the two events underlines the breadth of her athletic experience.
AI-generated illustration of a long-jump attempt. It is illustrative and does not depict Janani in competition.
For young Sri Lankan athletes watching from home and abroad, a competitor who represents the country in more than one discipline can offer a powerful example of what sustained commitment to para sport can make possible. Janani’s achievements are not defined solely by medals: her personal-best performance, her previous Asian silver and her continued presence in elite competition each form part of a developing record.
A team aiming to build on Hangzhou
Sri Lanka’s delegation travels to Japan with a broader ambition: to improve on its 11-medal return at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. Team manager Lt. Colonel Deepal Herath told SriLankaSports.com that athletics is traditionally expected to lead the country’s medal return, while the contingent also includes competitors in other sports.
Among the experienced athletes named in the report is Nuwan Indika Gamage, who won gold in the men’s T44 100m and silver in the T64 long jump at Hangzhou, setting Games records in both events. Pradeep Somasiri also won gold in the men’s T46 1,500m at the previous Games. Samitha Dulan, a silver medallist in the F44 javelin at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, adds further international experience to the team.
Palitha Bandara, a double Commonwealth Games silver medallist in discus, is set to compete in the shot put in Japan. The contingent’s Chef de Mission is Brigadier (Retd.) Dhananjaya Aludeniya, President of the National Paralympic Committee of Sri Lanka.
SriLankaSports.com photograph of the Sri Lankan contingent outside the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The image shows the wider team, not Janani.
The team has travelled in batches. According to the 13 October report, the second group departed Sri Lanka on 12 October as the contingent continued its journey to Aichi-Nagoya. Chef de Mission Aludeniya expressed confidence in the athletes’ ability to perform well and represent the country with pride.
SriLankaSports.com photograph of the second group departing for Japan. It shows members of the wider contingent, not Janani.
A hopeful campaign, without predictions
Sri Lanka’s target of improving its previous medal tally provides useful context for the team’s preparations, but each event will be decided on the field. For Janani, the 2026 Games offer an opportunity to draw on the experience of Hangzhou, the confidence of her personal-best 100m and the technical demands of a two-event programme. Her reported 200m entry, while not confirmed in the cited Games listings, further reflects the scope of the Facebook announcement.
eLanka extends its best wishes to Janani and the entire Sri Lankan contingent as they prepare to compete in Japan. Her record already reflects achievement and consistency; the coming Games will offer the next opportunity to represent Sri Lanka on a major international stage.
For more stories and updates from Sri Lankan communities worldwide, visit eLanka’s news and articles.
Sources:
- Sri Lanka’s Para Athletes Target Medal Surge at Asian Para Games in Japan: SriLankaSports.com, 9 October 2026
- Second Group of Sri Lankan Para Athletes Depart for Asian Para Games 2026: SriLankaSports.com, 13 October 2026
- eLanka Facebook post identifying Janani’s full name and reporting her three events
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