Pasindu Kodikara at 25 years of age is an outstanding sportsman in the field of Sri Lankan athletics. Having represented Sri Lanka in 16 international tournaments, he also represented the Sri Lankan team in the 400m relay that won the bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games. He was also a member of the team that won the 400m relay gold medal in the Asian Athletics Championship last year and also represented Sri Lanka in the World Championship held in Hungary. He also managed to record the seventh best time ever recorded by an athlete for the 400m event in the history of Sri Lankan athletics along with his personal best performance in the first national selection tournament that concluded recently.
Kodikara shared his views with The Daily Morning about his experiences and future aspirations in his sporting journey:
Tell us a little about your journey to the national level and beyond from your early beginnings with the sport.
My first stepping stone was when I participated at the inter-house meets at school. As far as I can remember, I was in grade three. Once I started winning at inter-house level, that’s when I thought of entering the athletics arena properly. Later, I was able to join Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala from grade eight. I met my childhood and current coach Daminda Bandara after joining Maliyadeva. He has been making a great commitment towards me as my coach since day one by taking care of all my aspects. As a junior athlete when I began my career, my main events were high jump and long jump. Later on I picked up 400m and 400m hurdles as my key target events to go further to reach greater heights.
When did you participate at your maiden international tournament?
The South Asian Junior Athletics Championship held in Sri Lanka was my first international tournament. There I was able to win a gold medal in 400m hurdles event, silver medal in 400m event and gold medal in 400m relay event. It was really a big dream at that time to get an international level medal. But from the very first international competition I participated in, I was able to clinch a trinity of medals.
Your life as well as your sporting journey has gone through some bitter experiences in the past few years. Would you like to share some of those moments with us ?
Yes, I faced a disastrous accident in September 2021. I had to be hospitalised for a month and was completely bedridden for 6 months. It happened at an unexpected time in my life. At that time, I felt like all my work and life came to a sudden halt and was restricted to one space. Only my mother, father, brother, sister and a few of my closest friends were with me and beside me always. With what happened to me, after the incident many people said that Pasindu Kodikara will never ever run again during this lifetime. However, even though I hit rock bottom at that time physically, I was really very very strong mentally. With the condition I was in, no one thought I would start running again.
After all this, how did you re-start?
After six months I started my training slowly and steadily with utmost care. It is not as easy as it sounds. A plate was placed in my hand during the recovery process. In the initial months during training, blood and pus started oozing out from where the plate was placed. It’s an unbearable pain. But that pain made me stronger to achieve my purpose. In the beginning I found it very difficult to make up for my timing and targets in training. My coach made every effort to get me out of my slump. After the accident, I participated in the first selection tournament in 2022. During that meet, I was not even able to enter the finals. However, in the selection tournament held in April 2023, I was able to get back to my natural form. There I finished the 400m event in 46.7 seconds and qualified for the Asian Athletics Championship and the World Championships too.
Tell us about your supporters who back you in the sporting field.
My family, my mother, father, brother, and sister as well as my coach have been a great strength for me in this journey. And the Sri Lanka Army where I serve also helps me a lot in various aspects.
What were the international competitions you participated in?
I took part in three international events after the accident. Asian Athletics Championships, World Athletics Championships, and Asian Games. I participated in those three tournaments as an additional athlete for the 400 metre relay event. I was allowed to compete representing the Sri Lankan team in the preliminary rounds of the Asian Athletics Championship and the Asian Games. Therefore, I won the gold medal in the Asian Athletics Championship and the bronze medal in the Asian Games. And participating in a world championship is a great achievement for me. Even though I stopped training for more than six months after facing an accident while all other athletes who train continuously were dreaming of participating in an international competition, I was very fortunate to take part at an event equal to the olympics. I feel that the time I spent at the hospital bedridden was a break given by God. That incident became a turning point in my life.
How do you cope with challenges and move forward?
The biggest challenge is to bear the rejections and move forward. I am not someone who would stop my journey due to statements made by anyone else. This is my very own journey. And I don’t grab elements that hinders my journey. I have learned a lot during the time since my accident, about people and how to live. To be honest, my goals are stronger than the challenges that come through my life. That is why I am still here today. I go on my way by winning against challenges and putting a full stop for rejections.
Overall how many international competitions have you participated in so far and what experiences have you gained?
I have participated in 16 overseas competitions. From the South Asian Junior Athletics Tournament to the World Championship Athletics Tournament, I’ve participated in the world’s leading competitions. And brought glory to Sri Lanka. I got the best experience in the World Championships. Even watching a world championship in person is a great opportunity. I experienced that moment. It is a great experience to see the world’s top athletes compete. Even the running tracks in those countries have been created in a different way with the latest technology. I also had the opportunity to train on those tracks. I think it is a great experience for my future sports life.
I think you managed to go for a personal best in the first selection trial you faced?
Yes. My previous best time in the 400m was 46.7 seconds. I was able to break that barrier and go towards my new personal best in the 400m preliminary race of this year’s first selection tournament clocking 46.5 seconds. Then in the final, I was able to break my then personal best again after clocking 46.0 seconds. The time I recorded was also recorded as the seventh best time achieved by the athletes in the 400 metres event in Sri Lanka.
A rough count on how many medals you have at home?
Well that’s a good one, during my last count there were nearly 750 medals
What are your future expectations?
A selection competition for the Olympics will be held in May this year at the Bahamas. Our 400m relay team has had the opportunity to participate in that. The best 34 teams from that tournament will receive Olympic qualification. So, yes my next hope is to train well and earn an Olympic berth in the relay event together as a team.
Who is your role model in life?
My mother. My mother has been the biggest supportive force in my sports life since childhood. Even though my father was with me, there is no other iron lady who has endured everything and given me all the strength in the world. I learned tolerance from my mother. Learned how to respond to challenges from her. Even today, I can’t wait to go home after going to Colombo or foreign tours.
What do you think when you take a look back at your sporting life so far?
Extremely happy. My life has come a long way on a rough road. Both in sports as well education. I am humbly proud and happy today that I was able to do justice to the pain and suffering I myself and my family went through. And that I was able to give a great answer to all my rejections. My ultimate hope is to step slowly and carefully with precision towards my goals and targets in the world of athletics to bring glory to mother Lanka.