Sports

Sri Lanka Sports Fiesta kicks off today

Published

1 year ago

2024/08/16

The Sri Lanka Sports Fiesta 2024, a landmark event which according to organisers would reshape the nation’s sporting landscape, is set to kick off today, in Colombo. Organized by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, this three-day extravaganza promises an unforgettable experience for athletes and spectators alike. It will conclude on August 18.

The fiesta is more than just a sports event; it celebrates athleticism, teamwork, and national pride. Over 3,000 athletes will compete across seven major team sports—cricket, rugby, football, volleyball, netball, hockey, and basketball—showcasing the country’s top talent. This unique event provides a platform for athletes to display their skills, compete at the highest level, and inspire the next generation of sports enthusiasts.

Dialog President’s Gold Cup Volleyball 2024

The finals of the Dialog President’s Gold Cup Volleyball Tournament will take place as part of the Sri Lanka Sports Fiesta 2024 at the Air Force indoor stadium in Colombo 7. On August 16th, the top four finalists—both men’s and women’s teams—will vie for top honors. In addition to the main awards for the winners and runners-up, accolades will be presented to the best player, attacker, blocker, setter, server, and passer. The matches will commence at 1 p.m.

Sports Fiesta T10 Cricket Tournament 2024

The T10 Cricket Tournament will feature five teams at Thurstan College and Bloomfield grounds. Sri Lanka’s national white-ball captain Charith Asalanka will lead Colombo, while Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dunith Wellalage, Niroshan Dickwella, and Janith Liyanage will captain Dambulla, Galle, Kandy, and Jaffna, respectively. Matches will be held on August 16th and 17th at Thurstan College, and on August 17th and 18th at Bloomfield, with the finals scheduled for 2:40 p.m. on August 18th.

Air Force Commander’s Cup Rugby Tourney

The Air Force Commander’s Cup Rugby Tournament 2024 will feature men’s, women’s, and U-16 boys’ and girls’ teams, played across all three days at Race Course International Stadium. The men’s tournament will see 12 clubs, divided into Divisions A and B, competing for the Cup, Shield, and Bowl trophies. Four teams will participate in the women’s tournament, and 14 schools will compete in the U-16 category. League matches are scheduled for August 16 and 17, with the finals on August 18.

Sports Fiesta President Gold Cup Hockey

The President Gold Cup Hockey Tournament 2024 will take place at the Astro Turf in Colombo 7, with 17 teams in the senior men’s category and 16 teams in the women’s senior category. An under-20 tournament for boys and girls, featuring 16 teams, will also be held. Matches, played on a knockout basis, will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the finals scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on August 18.

Sports Fiesta 3×3 Basketball

The 3×3 Basketball Championships 2024 will be held at the Sri Lanka Basketball Association’s 3×3 Court in Colombo 7, featuring 24 men’s and 10 women’s teams. The finals will take place on August 18th.

Sports Fiesta Mini Football Tournament

The Mini Football Tournament 2024 will be held at the Race Course ground in Colombo, with 12 senior and six junior teams competing. Each team will consist of five players, with matches played under lights. The finals will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on August 18th.

Sports Fiesta Youth Netball Championships

Twenty teams will compete in the Youth Netball Championships 2024 at Torrington ground, with matches played on a league basis. The finals are scheduled for 3 p.m. on August 18th.

The organizers have meticulously planned every detail to ensure the event’s grand success. From carefully crafted match schedules to world-class facilities, every aspect is designed to foster competition and camaraderie. Spectators can look forward to thrilling matches, with each sport offering its own unique excitement and drama. With free admission to all events, the fiesta is expected to draw large crowds eager to witness history in the making.

The venues will be alive with activity, offering a wide range of entertainment options for visitors of all ages. Adding to the festive atmosphere, nightly music concerts will showcase some of Sri Lanka’s most popular artists, providing the perfect opportunity for attendees to unwind after a day of exhilarating sports.

As the principal sponsor, Dialog Axiata has ensured that the excitement of the Sri Lanka Sports Fiesta 2024 reaches every corner of the country. The tournament will be broadcast live on Dialog Television via ThePapare TV (channel 63), ThePapare TV HD (channel 126), Dialog ViU, and ThePapare.com, allowing viewers across Sri Lanka to be part of the action. Dialog Television and ThePapare serve as the Official Broadcasting and Digital Media Partners, ensuring comprehensive coverage of this historic event.

All News Advertisement

Sports

Ganuka accomplishes rare feat

Published

5 hours ago

2025/12/10

Thilina Walpola

Ganuka Fernando accomplished a rare feat reaching the final of the Nepal J30 ITF tournament in Pokohora. He became the first Sri Lankan male player in more than a decade to reach an overseas final at the tournament held in Nepal.

‎The St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya player finished as the runner up.

‎He is the first to reach an overseas ITF final after Sharmal Dissanayake accomplished the feat in 2013.

‎Sharmal has the credit of winning ITF tournaments in India and in Brunei. He also reached another final in India.

Sports

Unbeaten Seylan Bank retain basketball title

Published

5 hours ago

2025/12/10

Thilina Walpola

After nearly three months of competition, the 33rd Mercantile Services Basketball League concluded with Seylan Bank being crowned as undisputed champions. The defending champions showcased their dominance with an unbeaten record cruising past all their opponents.

Seylan Bank started off the campaign by beating Hatton National Bank in a three point thriller with the final score being 58-55. They overcame Commercial Credit 59-47 and had a big win over David Pieris Motor Company 73-59.

In the semi-final, Seylan Bank overcame Commercial Credit by 13 points while the final was a rematch against David Pieris Motor Company and won comfortably by Seylan.

Epciba Washington Clay of Seylan was named the Most Valuable Player.

The Seylan Bank side comprised; Kamalene Mills, Kunchana Wijesiriwardena, Kindu Jayaliya, Benika Thalagala, Epciba Washington Clay, Hansini Maleesha, Nihari Perera, Sanduni Bollegala, Maleka Rafaideen, Bethani Liyanage and Malavika Ariyaratne.

The Seylan Bank team was coached by Chathura Rodrigo.

Latest News

Henry, Santner, Nathan Smith ruled out of rest of West Indies Test series

Published

2 days ago

2025/12/8

Priyan

Matt Henry is nursing a calf injury [Cricinfo]

New Zealand’s bowling spearhead Matt Henry (calf strain), seam-bowling allrounder Nathan Smith (side strain) and spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner (groin injury) have all been ruled out of the rest of the home Test series against West Indies.

Glenn Phillips, who joined the squad in Christchurch early as a substitute fielder, has officially been added to the Test squad for the remainder of the series, New Zealand Cricket confirmed. This after he proved his match fitness in the Plunket Shield before joining the squad for the first Test, and he could be in contention to be selected in the XI for the second Test.

In another bit of good news for New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell, who put in a long shift as a substitute fielder in the first Test, is set to be available for the second and slot back in as their middle-order mainstay.

Wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell had already been sidelined from the second Test in Wellington after suffering a hamstring injury while batting on day one in Christchurch. Mitchell Hay has been added to the squad and could make his Test debut.

Also, a day after uncapped seamer Michael Rae was called up to the Test squad, Kristan Clarke, a seam-bowling allrounder from Northern Districts, was added to it. With Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke managing “return to play” protocols, New Zealand were left scrambling for last-minute replacements, with the Wellington Test set to begin on November 10.

Both Rae and Clarke were pulled out of the third round of the Plunket Shield. Clarke didn’t bowl for ND in the final innings against Otago in Hamilton, with rookie James Naylor stepping in as his replacement.

Clarke, 24, is uncapped in Test cricket, but was recently part of the ODI series against England as a replacement player after Henry had suffered a separate calf injury. He has now earned his maiden Test call-up as a like-for-like replacement for Smith.

“On the cricket field, I’m a bowling allrounder, you know, and I pride myself on trying to offer as much as I can in the game,” Clarke said in October after breaking into the ODI side. “I just want to be a good person around the group also and just offer as much as I can.”

Clarke has played 27 first-class games so far, taking 77 wickets at an average of 33 and scoring 893 runs at an average of 23.50. He was also part of a New Zealand A tour to Bangladesh during the winter. Though bowling is his primary skill, Kristian is also a capable batter and had notched up his maiden century in senior cricket, against Central Districts in the one-day Ford Trophy, in October.

Clarke hails from Te Awamutu, a small town in the Waikato region and played for Waikato Valley in the Hawke Cup before rising up the ranks in New Zealand cricket. His brother Matti Clarke has also played for Waikato Valley in the Hawke Cup.

“Yeah, so [I was] born and raised in Te Awamutu, [and I] still live in Te Awamutu, still at home,” Clarke said. “I hold Te Amuru very dear to my heart – it’s a cool little town and yeah, quiet little place. Just sort of grew up through the cricket system there and then yeah, sort of just went from there.”

While Blair Tickner, who was the reserve seamer at Hagley Oval, comes into the selection frame for Wellington, there might be a toss-up between Rae and Clarke for a potential Test debut at Basin Reserve.

The first Test was drawn after West Indies, faced with a 530-run deficit in the fourth innings, held on for 163.3 overs to pull off a draw, with Justin Greaves (202 not out) and Shai Hope (140) their main men with the bat

New Zealand squad for second Test vs West Indies :
Tom Latham (capt), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell, Zak Foulkes, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner, Michael Rae, Kristian Clarke

[Cricinfo]