Cycling: Sri Lanka T-Cup in May 2022

The governing body of International Cycling has given the green light to conduct the Sri Lanka T-Cup, a multi-day cycling competition, after a lapse of three years. 

Accordingly the thrice-postponed international competition will be held from May 20 to 24 in 2022, but the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), the international governing body for cycling, has named N. Karunaratne as the official in-charge to organise the event. 

Karunaratne, an internationally recognised cycling official, is still being recognised as the president of the Sri Lanka Cycling Federation (SLCF) by the UCI, and the global body has granted permission to conduct South Asia's only multi-day cycling event to be conducted under his observation.

H.L. Krishantha, the incumbent president of SLCF, upon inquiry told the press that the UCI is yet to recognise the present Sri Lanka cycling officials appointed and based on the decision by the international body, it had to stay out from playing any role in the forthcoming Sri Lanka T-Cup 2022.

"The SLCF unanimously decided to let Mr. Karunaratne take charge of the T-Cup, as we didn't want to see Sri Lanka's only internationally recognised cycling event to hamper at any cost," Krishantha said.

"The UCI still recognises me as the president of SLCF and as the organisers wished to revive the event, I had to get involved as Sri Lanka's representative," Karunaratne stated. 

Sri Lanka T-Cup was inaugurated in 2017 as an amateur event and was upgraded to the UCI Asia Tour category in 2018 while gaining a slot in the UCI international event calendar. 

The event was not held in 2019 due to the terrorist attack on Easter Sunday and the forthcoming event will be held after a lapse of three years.

In 2017 George Luis Oconer of the Philippines won the event while in 2018 Japan's Yasuharu Nakajima claimed the title. 

Sri Lanka T-Cup had the risk of being omitted from the international calendar with the event not being held for three consecutive years, but with the latest development it will remain as part of the UCI Asian Tour.