Dialog Axiata powers SLESA as the ‘Official Sponsor of Esports’ in Sri Lanka
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Players from the present national Esports team at the official launch of the strategic partnership between Dialog Axiata PLC and Sri Lanka Esport Association. (From left) Nadeeshani ‘Foxy’ Jayasinghe, Shihab ‘Shihab’ Rizan, Ushith ‘DODOMEISTER’ Pieris, Raveen Wijayatilake - (President, Sri Lanka Esports Association), Vibuda ‘ChromnZ’ de Zoysa, Sanjeevan ‘BenJ’ Kalaieesan and Zahra ‘Nerd’ Thajudeen
As the latest milestone on its journey in powering the next generation of sports in Sri Lanka, Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, forged a two-year-long partnership with the Sri Lanka Esports Association (SLESA) as the ‘Official Sponsor of Esports’ in Sri Lanka.
As the official sponsor of Esports in Sri Lanka, Dialog is set to sponsor national Esports teams selected by the SLESA including PUBG Mobile, Free Fire, Valorant, DOTA 2, Counter-Strike: GO, Pro Evolution Soccer and Tekken 7. By means of the sponsorship, Dialog’s support will enable SLESA to conduct training and development programmes for local gamers and help bring structured Esports to all corners of the island with the national district level Esports tournament series.
The nation’s best Esports athletes will also be recognised at the annual ‘Dialog-SLESA National Esports Awards’ ceremony. Additionally, as the first mobile operator to deploy a 5G trial network in South Asia, Dialog will also facilitate Esports platforms with high-speed 5G connectivity to ensure seamless game-play with lower latencies.
“I’m pleased to see the strides made by the Sri Lanka Esports Association with Dialog also playing a pivotal role in supporting the growth of Esports in the country through this sponsorship, as it has done over the years,” Namal Rajapaksa, the Minister of Youth and Sports and State Minister of Digital Technology and Enterprise Development said.
He further stated, “I would like to thank Dialog Axiata for taking the initiative to support the development of Esports in Sri Lanka and with the power of Dialog’s 5G connectivity we can aim to position Sri Lanka as the hub for Esports in South Asia.”
Anthony Rodrigo (Chief Innovation Officer, Dialog Axiata PLC) handing over the sponsorship to Raveen Wijayatilake (President, Sri Lanka Esports Association), in the presence of Namal Rajapaksa (Minister of Youth and Sports and State Minister of Digital Technology and Enterprise Development. Also pictured (from left) are Amith Perera (Product Manager, Gaming Services - IdeaMart, Dialog Axiata PLC), Viranga Seneviratne (General Manager – IdeaMart, Dialog Axiata PLC), Ramesh Liyanage (Secretary, Sri Lanka Esports Association) and Vikum Jayasekera (Treasurer, Sri Lanka Esports Association)
Raveen Wijayatilake, President of SLESA said, “Esports has grown at a rapid pace in Sri Lanka in the last decade, and the nation’s youth are poised to take on a leading role in regional Esports competitions. With SLESA’s partnership with Dialog Axiata, we are ready to accelerate growth of the sport and make sure that our Esports athletes are empowered to take on the many international sporting events that have integrated Esports as an official medal event, including the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Esports Games”.
Anthony Rodrigo, Chief Innovation Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC also stated, “It is with much enthusiasm that we take on the mantle as the ‘Official Sponsor of Esports’ in Sri Lanka. Amidst the pandemic, Esports has shown great resilience with copious engagement and active participation. Over the years, Dialog has contributed significantly to the development of Esports in Sri Lanka and through this partnership with SLESA we are excited to further facilitate the next generation of local cyber athletes island-wide, connecting them with other local talents, opening doors to world class Esports content and exposure while also further enabling them with a superior gaming performance via Dialog’s 5G-ready network. With the support of SLESA we are invested in providing all gamers with an enhanced and elevated gaming experience”.
Dialog Axiata is the proud sponsor of the Sri Lanka national cricket, volleyball and netball teams. The company also has a close association with the President’s Gold Cup volleyball, junior volleyball, national junior and senior netball tourneys, schools rugby, premier football and paralympic sports whilst also powering the Army Para Games, National Para Games and the Sri Lanka contingent to the World Paralympic Games.