Harsha Karunaratne, a promising 800m runner, has allegedly faced unfair exclusion from the upcoming 2025 South Asian Athletics Championships, according to his coach, Susanta Fernando. During the selection trials, Harsha secured second place with a time of 1:49.98, just milliseconds behind the first-place time of 1:49.89. Despite this close margin, only the top athlete was selected for the event.

Fernando argues that this decision is unjust, pointing out that since the 1989 South Asian Games, Sri Lanka has consistently sent two athletes for the 800m event. He added that most previous representatives had times above 1:50, including Indunil Herath, who won the gold medal in the 2019 edition with a time of 1:50.53.

The coach further criticized the Sports Ministry for limiting the team due to financial constraints, saying that most track events will now feature only one athlete, with a few exceptions. He emphasized that athletes dedicate time, energy, and personal finances toward training, not expecting to be denied opportunities due to budget decisions.

When asked for clarification, Sri Lanka Athletics Secretary Saman Gunawardena stated that the Ministry of Sports had instructed the selection of only the most medal-potential athletes, due to budget limitations. The Ministry had capped the team at 30 athletes, and while relay events require 20 members, the final list will include approximately 45 athletes, selected through a structured process.

According to Gunawardena, two athletes will represent shorter track events like the 100m, 200m, and 400m, while only one athlete will represent middle and long-distance events, including the 800m, 1500m, and 5000m, as well as field events.

He justified the decision by citing India's dominance in the 800m event, where seven Indian athletes currently perform between 1:40 and 1:49, implying that medal chances were slim. He concluded that selections were made transparently based on ministry guidelines and performance-based criteria.