Double delight for MAS Holdings
Symbolic Handover of MAS Athlete Training Academy certificate and kit to Nethmika Madushani Herath by Co-founder and Chairman, Mahesh Amalean
At an event held in Colombo, MAS Holdings was announced as the official clothing partner of Team Sri Lanka for the Paris Olympic Games 2024. Here, the official kits were handed over to the Sri Lanka Olympic contingent. The event coincided with the inauguration of the MAS Athlete Training Academy, an initiative by MAS to identify, develop and support young athletes to successfully represent Sri Lanka at future Olympic Games. The event was graced by the presence of Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha.
The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC) announced its final contingent for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games 2024. This year’s six-member contingent comprises of three athletes – Dilhani Lekamge, Tharushi Karunaratne, and Aruna Dharshana, two swimmers – Kyle Abeysinghe and Ganga Seneviratne as well as one badminton player, Viren Nettasinghe who will all be first time Olympians.
Members of the Sri Lankan contingent were felicitated by Co-founder and Chairman of MAS Holdings, Mahesh Amalean, who said, “Following some of the most turbulent times in our nation’s history, we believe that it is important now more than ever to tend the flame of Sri Lanka’s Olympic spirit and help inspire a new generation of Sri Lankans to pursue greatness on a global stage. We wish this year’s national contingent success in Paris and call on all Sri Lankans to rally behind each of these inspiring young athletes.”
Established through a Rs. 650 million investment over an eight-year period, the MAS Athlete Training Academy inaugurated by MAS, represents Sri Lanka’s single largest Public-Private-Partnership in athletics development. This is a partnership with the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Education, the NOC, Sri Lanka Athletic (SLA), and the Sri Lanka Olympian Association (SLOA).
The Academy uses a comprehensive process to identify and nurture talented athletes from school-level upwards. This includes a holistic development programme combining focused training, world-class athletic gear, international exposure, nutritional and educational support, with funds and equipment provided directly to athletes and their respective coaches.
The first group of 56 high-performing athletes selected to the Academy were present at the event with their parents, respective coaches and school principals to receive their certification. Their ongoing performance and training metrics will be tracked by the academy using a best-in-class digital app to strengthen their competitiveness and encourage continuous improvement.
The Academy is the most significant in a series of efforts by MAS to support athletes and develop sports in Sri Lanka. Most recently, Bodyline signed as the official clothing partner for Sri Lanka Athletic, from 2024 through to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. MAS’ adaptive clothing brand, Lable also supports the Sri Lanka Paralympic Association with specially designed adaptive performance wear for the Sri Lankan para-athletes.