On April 6, 2008, 15 people were killed by an alleged suicide bomber, who exploded himself at the start of a marathon race which was part of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebration in Weliweriya town, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

. Sri Lanka's national athletics coach Lakshman de Alwis

Lakshman de Alwis

Lakshman de Alwis was the National coach for Athletics in Sri Lanka. De Alwis started his career in Athletics when was a school boy at Moratuwa Vidyalaya and in 1958 awarded as Junior National Champion for Athletics after winning the 100m and 200m events. He also represented Sri Lanka in 1959 for...

, politician Jeyaraj Fernandopulle

Jeyaraj Fernandopulle

Jeyaraj Fernandopulle was a Sri Lankan politician who served as a cabinet Minister and a Member of Parliament in Sri Lanka. He was a Roman Catholic and hailed from a minority ethnic group Colombo Chetties.-Early life:...

, former Olympics

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

 runner K.A. Karunaratne

Kuruppu Karunaratne

Kuruppu Arachchige Karunaratne or K.A. Karunaratne was a Sri Lankan long-distance runner who specialized in the marathon event....

 and army officer Lt Colonel Udayadeera

Colonel Udayadeera

Colonel Perumbadage Shantha Saliya Ramya Udayadeera was Sri Lankan military officer and athlete. He was the commander of the 11th Battalion, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment , and then the Ambepussa SLSR Regimental Headquarters....

 were killed in the bombing which wounded 90 others. The Sri Lankan Government has blamed the Tamil Tigers for this attack because Minister Fernandopulle was a vocal critic of the Tamil Tigers.