President’s Gold Cup Volleyball in three stages
General Manager- Brand and Media, Dialog Axiata, Harsha Samaranayaka hands over the Championship Trophy to Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation Secretary, A.S. Nalaka - Pic by Indraratne Balasuriya
Sri Lanka’s premier Volleyball tournament, the annual President’s Gold Cup Championship conducted by the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation (SLVF), will be worked off in 3 stages. The tournament sponsored by Dialog Telecom, will feature over 4,000 teams islandwide, with the participation of over 60,000 Spikers. The tournament will ‘spike’ off with the 1st stage in Kurunegala on July 24. The 2nd stage will be held on a national level between September and October in Anuradhapura, while the final stage under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena, will be held at the Maharagama National Youth Service Council in November.
“This year’s tournament has been organised under two age categories – Under (U)-22 and Over (O)-22 for Men and Women. This would make it easier to select teams for international competition, as the format would help create National pools to choose from,” said SLVF Secretary, A.S. Nalaka. O-22 Winners, in both Men and Women, will receive prize money of Rs 150,000, with the Runners-up receiving Rs 100,000. The 3rd placed team will receive Rs 50,000. U-22 Winners will receive Rs 100,00, while the Runners-up will receive Rs 50,000, and 3rd-placed will receive Rs 30,000. The Best Players in each of the 4 categories will receive trophies and cash prizes.
Boralasgamuwa Balaras SC and Koswadhiya Wijeya SC are the defending men’s and women’s champions respectively. “The President’s Gold Cup Volleyball tourney sets the standard to bring young talent from the periphery to compete at National level. We are pleased to note the great strides the National team has made in the region, which this is due to the popularity and platform we provide to youth islandwide, to excel at National level. As an active supporter of Sports in Sri Lankan, we wish to express our appreciation to Dialog for once again stepping into promote the growth of Volleyball in Sri Lanka,” Nalaka added.
“Dialog is pleased to extend its partnership with the National sport of Sri Lanka to over a decade,” remarked General Manager, Brand and Media – Dialog Axiata, Harsha Samaranayaka. “The National team has performed well, both on the local and international stage in offering great promise for the future, and we look forward to a sterling performance at this year’s South Asian tourney. I wish all teams the very best at the President’s Gold Cup 2016,” he added.