True, false or fabrication?
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has dismissed the alleged “sex scandal” involving a player and a female member of the support staff saying there was no evidence to merit an investigation. Some print and electronic media joined social media in vilifying the said player and the lady doctor but offered no proof to substantiate their claims [...]
First two India-England Tests to be played in empty stadiums
NEW DELHI AFP Jan 23, 2021: India and England’s first two Tests in Chennai next month will be played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the local state cricket board. The two matches from February 5 and February 22 will happen “BEHIND CLOSED DOORS (No Spectators/Guests/Sub-Committee Members) as a preventive measure”, [...]
Super League to lay foundation for professionalising sport
The Super League, planned by the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), is expected to lay the base to a futuristic assurance of making the most globally followed sport more prominent, said its president Anura de Silva. Though the Super League promises a brighter and secure future to the local footballers, who are mostly amateurs, [...]
England fight back after early setback
England recovered from an early setback after losing two wickets thanks to some resilient batting by skipper Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow to end the second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka without any further mishap at Galle yesterday. Two down for five, England ended the day at 98-2 in reply to Sri [...]
Centurion Mathews says wicket will assist spin from day three
Though batsmen were greeted with a placid track on the first two days of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England, Angelo Mathews who made his 11th Test century to put Sri Lanka in a good position to win the match, expects the wicket to assist the spin bowling from day three. Sri Lanka [...]
Great to see Sri Lanka’s fighting spirit after first Test debacle
A fine effort by Sri Lanka with the bat has put us in a strong position in the second Test against England in Galle and I am so happy with the way Angelo Mathews took up responsibility after a tough first Test. Angelo was brilliant. It was a good determined knock when the chips were [...]
Football no longer a poor man’s game
Sri Lanka football has hit rock bottom especially in the past decade or so being ranked 206th in the FIFA rankings. There have been many promises of a new dawn with the latest mantra being making the sport professional. Development is another key word which is bandied about by officials when in the seat of [...]
Shooting goes digital
Two years ago, the local governing body of shooting sport, the NSSF (National Shooting Sports Federation), was forced to construct a ‘makeshift’ shooting range in a private property of its president Shirantha Peries in Kohuwala. The main purpose of this range was to support and provide training facilities to the national shooters — junior and [...]
Level playing field for all sports
National Olympic Committee (NOC) President Suresh Subramaniam debunks the myth that only sports like athletics can win medals in the international arena calling for a level playing field when it comes to selection of disciplines for multinational events like the Olympics although dampening Sri Lanka’s dream of glory in the Tokyo Games. “I am targeting [...]
Hopelessness and a never-ending transition
When Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena retired in 2015, even the most optimistic Sri Lankan fans acknowledged they left a void too big to be filled overnight. Nobody, however, would’ve anticipated Sri Lanka to be searching hopelessly for replacements even five years later. But this is exactly where we stand, while we struggle to keep [...]
Sanjeewa and Anusha win Commander’s Cup
Sanjeewa Ariyaratne and Anusha Senadheera stamped their class by winning the Men’s and Women’s segment respectively at the 8th edition of the Sri Lanka Air Force Commander’s Cup 2021 worked off at the picturesque Eagles Golf Link located in China Bay, Trincomalee yesterday. More than 80 golfers teed off at this annual event. It was [...]
Seeded players advance to U-18 quarter-finals
Top and bottom seeded players in the Boys Under-18 singles Luca Knese and Thehan Wijemanne along with Jaitra de Saram, Hesara Kuruppu, Chathurya Nilaweera, Janith Munasinghe and Dhilvan Herath advanced to the quarter finals easing past the opposition in the pre-quarter finals of the 105th National Tennis Championship at the SLTA tennis courts in Greenpath, [...]
Sri Lanka legend’s quiet return
One of Sri Lanka’s best ever batters has settled with his family in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, and has made a low-key cricket comeback Tillakaratne Dilshan laughs when he explains what the young players he coaches most want to be taught. “When I am training all the kids, they want to learn how to play the [...]
Good Hope International College students Bassam and Maryam bring glory to Sri Lanka in Muay Thai
Bassam Murthaza, an eight-year-old kid of Good Hope International College in Mawanella and his elder sister Maryam, 13, are making waves in the sport of Muay Thai or ‘Thai boxing’ which has received provisional recognition as an Olympic sport by the International Olympic Committee. A combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching [...]
Chathurya Nilaweera, creates tennis history
Chathurya Nilaweera, a 16-year-old student from Stafford International School, made waves in local tennis when he achieved a great feat of becoming the youngest player to reach the final stages of the Men’s top categories at a Tennis National Championship. Chathurya, a bottom seed player in the Men’s Singles, was the first from his school [...]
U-14 Online Chess gets underway
The Under-14 Open Online Chess Championship, organised and conducted by Chess Federation of Sri Lanka (CFSL), got underway this weekend. The two-day competition is being held via internet, under tournament rules set for the Under-14 age category. All participants throughout Sri Lanka coming under the age category are eligible to take part in the tournament [...]
Education Ministry scraps Under-12 school sport competitions
The Ministry of Education has taken a decision to take off the schools junior Under-12 age category from competitive level. This decision was confirmed with the amended Schools Sports Development Circular of 34/2016 was enacted after being sanctioned by the Secretary to the Ministry of Education. Accordingly school sports events beginning from the Under-14 category, [...]
Minuwangoda Stallions win inaugural championship
Minuwangoda (Galle) Stallions emerged champions of the Mahinda College Premier League (MCPL) cricket tournament played at the college ground in Galle. Minuwangoda Stallions beat Dangedara Gladiators by 38 runs in the final, in which Navod Paranavithana, the star cricketer produced by Mahinda College in the recent times, clobbering an unbeaten 85 to see his team [...]
National Youth Sports Festival 2020 cancelled
The much awaited 32nd National Youth Sports Festival (NYSF) of 2020 has been cancelled for the previous year, as the organisers, the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) intends to draw plans to organise the edition for 2021. The first phase of the 32nd NYSF was held through district stages earlier last year, but with the [...]
380 million allocated for sports good of rural schools
The government is set to reserve Rs. 380 million to develop sports infrastructure facilities of rural schools, a project through which less privileged schools will benefit with sports equipments and goods. The proposed project will cover all sports disciplines involved by schools from the rural areas to purchase the much needed sports goods. This project, [...]