Sports
Dialog Axiata congratulates the historic win for Sri Lanka sports
The official sponsor of the National Paralympic team for over two decades, Dialog Axiata PLC, congratulated the extraordinary achievement accomplished by gold medallist and new javelin F46 world record holder Dinesh Priyantha Herath and bronze medallist, Samitha Dulan Kodithuwakku for their unparalleled achievements at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Dinesh Priyantha Herath made history in the morning hours of Monday the 30th of August 2021, when he secured Sri Lanka’s first ever Gold at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, while his team mate Samitha Dulan Kodithuwakku, a short while later secured Bronze on a personal best distance of 65.61 meters in the F64 javelin event.
Dinesh Priyantha Herath, who is also the captain of the nine member Sri Lankan contingent entered the game’s record books by establishing a new world record throw of 67.79 meters in the men’s javelin F46 event.
Commenting on his record-breaking win, Dinesh Priyantha Herath said, “my main target was to set a new world record and win a gold medal for my country. It took years of dedication and I am extremely happy to have achieved these accomplishments. Following the injuries I suffered in 2008 while serving my country, it took four years of rehabilitation, after which I started Javelin in 2012. I would like to thank my family, my team, and everyone who supported me on my journey towards this victory.”
Speaking on this momentous occasion, Hon. Namal Rajapaksa MP – Minister of Youth & Sports said, “It was a defining moment for our nation when the Sri Lankan national anthem echoed across the arena as Dinesh Herath won this historic Gold for our country. We are incredibly proud of his achievement. I would also like to commend the National Paralympics Committee for enabling these athletes to achieve greatness at a global platform, their commitment and dedication to the program has been exceptional. Combined with the efforts of the Department of Sports Development, the Ministry of Youth & Sports & the National Sports Council’s high-performance program the Paralympic committee has set the bar for all other sporting bodies in Sri Lanka. I would also like to thank Dialog Axiata for their unwavering support towards the National Paralympic team for over two decades and for showing us all how empowering sports can truly transform lives.”
Col. Deepal Herath, President of the National Paralympic Committee said, “We are incredibly proud of Dinesh Herath for making Sri Lanka continuously proud over the years and Samitha Kodithuwakku for his personal best throw at the 2020 Tokyo Para Games. It is a testament to the contingent working as one team to achieve this Herculean goal. We are immensely thankful to Dialog for their unwavering support extended since the year 2000, believing in our athletes and empowering their unparalleled achievements through the years”.
Maj. Gen. JR Ampemohotti, the Chef de Mission of the Sri Lanka contingent said, “Sri Lankan Paralympians have performed admirably and have brought glory to their country by winning consecutive medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Despite restrictions to training due to the COVID-19 pandemic the team has worked hard to do what it takes to climb the podium and we are incredibly proud of their achievements.”
Commenting on this milestone achievement, Supun Weerasinghe, Group Chief Executive of Dialog Axiata PLC said, “the historic win by Dinesh and Samitha is a testament to all Sri Lankans on what can be achieved with dedication, perseverance and discipline. Dialog Axiata is proud to have been part of this historic journey with the National Paralympic Committee and Army Para Games for the last two decades. We remain committed to nurturing Sri Lanka’s Champions of tomorrow to reach the pinnacle and bring glory to our motherland.”
Dialog Axiata is the proud sponsor of Sri Lanka’s National Cricket, Rugby, Volleyball and Netball teams. The Company also has a close association with the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, Club Rugby, Schools Rugby, Premier Football, Schools’ Cricket, Junior Volleyball and Paralympic sports – whilst also powering the Army Para Games, National Para Games and the Sri Lanka contingent to the World Paralympic Games.
Geopolitics have given cricketing neighbours, particularly in South Asia, a bad name in recent times. But not in Africa.
The continent’s two Full Members, South Africa and Zimbabwe, are enjoying successful T20 World Cups and will finally cross paths in Delhi on Sunday, which is expected to be a celebration of their journeys so far.
South Africa are already through to the semi-finals and more than likely to top their group. Though Zimbabwe are out of the running, they have achieved their best T20 World Cup finish and will avoid going through the qualifiers for the next edition. Neither have any worries – certainly not the kind that will take place in another part of the country, Kolkata, where India take on West Indies with qualification for the semi-finals still unresolved – and the mood is jovial.
There have been coffee and drinks dates, not least because Zimbabwe’s coach Justin Sammons used to be South Africa’s batting coach and there would have been some reminiscences about Zimbabwe’s role in helping South Africa prepare for the World Test Championship. Last June, Zimbabwe extended their time in England to play a tour match against the South Africans in Arundel. The most exciting thing to happen then was Kagiso Rabada breaking Ben Curran’s hand, but Curran is back on the circuit and there’s no bad blood.
Then South Africa, fresh off their Test mace win, had no time for a trophy tour at home because they had a series scheduled in Zimbabwe, which included Tests for the first time in 11 years. Hosting the champions, who happen to be the guys next door, was a treat in a bumper year for Zimbabwe and it barely mattered that Craig Ervine’s side was humbled. Wiaan Mulder retiring on 367* to avoid overtaking Brian Lara’s Test record was as much about his respect for a great of the game as it was for the game itself: South Africa had enough runs and there was no need to rub the neighbours’ noses in it.
South Africa went on to beat Zimbabwe in both fixtures in a T20I series but lost the final to New Zealand. Castle Corner, Zimbabwe’s life-of-the-party supporters, was cheering for South Africa, which tells you all you need to know about the feelings between these two sides.
The current relationship is cuddlier than ever, especially as they are two of the three co-hosts of the 2027 ODI World Cup (Namibia is the third) and there is no tension in the contest. Apart from Zimbabwe’s win over South Africa in the 1999 ODI World Cup – a result which had massive ramifications as it played its part in South Africa missing out on the final – South Africa’s path has run completely differently to Zimbabwe’s. For years, they didn’t play each other and as South Africa’s domestic game has creaked under its own financial pressures, Zimbabwe are no longer as involved as they were in the 1990s.
The recent thaw in relations comes as the Africa Cricket Association tries to resurrect itself – or just get going – and there are whispers of continental T20 tournaments. But only whispers. There’s also the rumour of an ODI tri-series in August, when South Africa and Namibia could travel to Zimbabwe to inaugurate the new stadium at Victoria Falls. South Africa did the same when they took a team to Windhoek to open the Namibia Cricket Ground, and were stunned by a plucky Namibia team that brat them. Considering the run South Africa are on now, maybe that was just another case of the guys next door being the firestarters.
But for all the goodwill, there are still some hostilities between South Africa and Zimbabwe, particularly at a social level. As a nation, South Africa struggles with a brand of xenophobia that is trained on migrants from elsewhere on the continent – it’s so acute it has been dubbed Afrophobia. As Zimbabweans make up the largest expat population in South Africa and run much of the country’s service industry by working in hospitality and homes, they often find themselves as targets of violent attacks. It’s a stain on a South Africa that owes Zimbabwe a great debt for the role it played in the anti-Apartheid struggle and the fight for freedom.
South Africa may argue it pays that in other ways and does its bit where it can for Zimbabwe. One example is in football. Because none of Zimbabwe’s football stadiums are FIFA sanctioned, they play their home games in South Africa, on world-class pitches. And that was also handy when South Africa and Zimbabwe were drawn in the same qualification group for this year’s football World Cup. South Africa beat Zimbabwe 3-1 in their first meeting and then needed to win the return match to secure qualification. In what was a Zimbabwe “home” fixture in Durban, Zimbabwe’s Warriors proved pesky and held South Africa to a goalless draw. Ultimately, it only delayed South Africa’s progression to the main tournament by three days so no major damage was done, so to speak.
Zimbabwe won’t be at the tournament, which will feature nine African sides (and possibly a tenth after playoffs are decided) but will be at next year’s rugby World Cup for the first time in 36 years. They are also now guaranteed a spot at the 2028 T20 World Cup, which creates the opportunity for two other African sides to qualify and removes some of the pressure that has sat on Zimbabwe for the last eight years. They have ridden all the emotions of nearly and not quite getting to the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups and 2024 T20 World Cup and suffered the financial consequences of missing out, sometimes tragically.
The late Heath Streak and his entire coaching staff was sacked after Zimbabwe missed out on qualification in 2019 and Streak was later banned for breaching the anti-corruption code. While serving his time, he was diagnosed with cancer and died in September 2023. How he would have loved to see the turnaround of a team he gave everything for, to know of the redemption of Brendan Taylor, who also fell foul of the ACSU, and see the rise of a new crop of Zimbabwe fast bowlers.
Streak’s story and particularly his death affected me deeply, mostly because he was always a presence in my coverage of Zimbabwe cricket, which ESPNcricinfo readers will know is quite personal. So do allow me a moment here:
I was first sent to Zimbabwe in 2011, to cover their Test comeback after six-and-a-half years out of the longest format, and fell in love with everything there. I was welcomed with open arms into a cricket community that felt familiar, almost like the clubs I used to keep score for as a teenager, but was also a fully-fledged international set-up. Reporting on their progress and setbacks was complicated and interesting. I went back more times than I need to count and Zimbabwe became a second home and a safe haven.
Between 2013 and 2016, Cricket South Africa cut two reporters off from what they called “special privileges”, which included basic things like receiving press releases or any game-related information. I was one of them. I was still fairly young in my career and was already fighting against the status quo as a woman in a male-dominated field and the extra challenge threatened to become too much. I considered walking away many times but one of the only things that kept me in it was the relationship I built with Zimbabwe and the stories I got to tell from there. I never got to thank them but I hope I can now.
For bringing joy, and reminding me – and everyone – of our resilience as people, thank you Zimbabwe.
At the same time, it has never been a better time to be a sports reporter in South Africa. The recent and regular excellence of all our sporting codes (have I mentioned yet that South Africa are four-time rugby world champions?) has been thrilling. I have seen sport unite our country across gender, race and class lines in a way I had never imagined possible. For showing that we are truly stronger together, thank you South Africa. This time for Africa.
[Firdose Monda for Cricinfo]
The ICC has said it is monitoring the “evolving situation” in the Middle East and has “activated comprehensive contingency plans to safeguard the travel, logistics and well-being of all stakeholders” at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
On Saturday morning, the US and Israel exchanged missile strikes with Iran, leading to the closure of airspace over several countries in the Middle East, disrupting air travel to the region and also internationally, with several airlines having to cancel flights or change routes.
“While the crisis in the Middle East has no direct bearing on the conduct of the tournament, the ICC acknowledges that a significant number of personnel – including players, team management, match officials, broadcast teams, and event staff – rely on Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai (DXB), as key transit points for onward travel to their home countries upon concluding their commitments at the event,” the ICC said in a statement.
“The ICC Travel and Logistics team is actively working with major international carriers to identify and secure alternative routing options, including connections through European, South Asian and South-East Asian hubs. The ICC security consultants are liaising with relevant authorities and will provide real-time advisories as the situation develops. A dedicated ICC Travel Support Desk has also been activated.”
The 2026 T20 World Cup is approaching its final stages, with the last Super Eight games on Sunday followed by the semi-finals on March 4 and 5, and the final on March 8.
(Cricinfo)
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and opted to bowl against Pzkistan in Pallekele.
Sri Lanka are out of the race for the semi-finals but Pakistan can make it provided they win by about 64 runs.”We would have bowled first definitely,” Pakistan captain Salman Agha said. “There’s no way we can do that while batting first. But now we need to put up a good total and restrict them.”It’s a massive opportunity. We just need to play a perfect game. We have to bat well, bowl well and field well.”
Pakistan made three changes. They left out Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Salman Mirza and brought in Khawaja Nafay, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed.
“It’s a good pitch and there could be dew later on,” Shanaka said. “We need to do our basics right. We didn’t do that in the last two games but we need to make it right here.”
Sri Lanka made two changes. They brought in Kamil Mishara for the injured Kusal Mendis, and Janith Liyanage came in for Dushan Hemantha
.Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara (wk), Charith Asalanka, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (capt), Khawaja Nafay, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq
(Cricinfo)
South Africa vs Zimbabwe, this time for Africa
ICC monitoring Middle East conflict as airspace closure hits travel plans
Sri Lanka make two changes and bowl; Pakistan drop Babar and Ayub
US, Israel launch attack on Iran, explosions in downtown Tehran
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