Sri Lanka’s largest female-focused Esports event, Pond’s Women’s Cyber Games (WCG), took place recently at One Galle Face Mall, Colombo.Organised by Gamer.LK, the event brought together female gamers from across the country to compete in a range of video game titles and celebrate the growing presence of women in Esports.

With this year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers, Building Champions,” the competition empowered female gamers by providing a platform where they could showcase their skills, stand out, and take their place at the forefront of Esports.

Since its inception in 2019, WCG has played a vital role in fostering female participation in Esports, encouraging players to step into the competitive scene. Expanding beyond gaming, this year’s event also featured a women’s cosplay competition, giving young women across the country a platform to showcase their creativity, embrace their passion for cosplay, and express themselves within the gaming community.

This year’s event was backed by Pond’s as the Title Sponsor and powered by Anchor Newdale, leading the way in embracing Esports as the sport of the future and empowering young women to rise in the industry.

Text and Pix by Thushara Athapaththu

In a key meeting held on Tuesday (8), at the Presidential Secretariat, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reaffirmed the government’s stance on maintaining SriLankan Airlines as a state-owned enterprise and emphasized efforts to make the airline profitable in the future, President’s Media Division said.

The meeting, attended by senior officials from SriLankan Airlines, including the airline’s Chairman Sarath Ganegoda and key government figures such as Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando and the President’s Senior Advisor Duminda Hulangamuwa, centered around the airline’s financial health and potential for transformation.

The primary focus of the discussions was on proposals for restructuring SriLankan Airlines to enhance its profitability. Special attention was also paid to debt management, as the airline has faced substantial financial challenges in recent years. While operational profits have been recorded, past mismanagement and poor decision-making have contributed to the airline remaining one of the country’s top loss-making state enterprises.

President Dissanayake instructed airline officials to take necessary steps to convert SriLankan Airlines into a more profitable entity, pointing out the importance of new management structures and strategies for achieving long-term financial stability.

Significantly, the President reiterated the government’s commitment to not privatizing SriLankan Airlines, reversing a decision made by the previous administration. Instead, the government intends to retain control of the national carrier while focusing on restoring its profitability through improved operations and management.

The discussions also included exploring new investment opportunities for the airline, which could further strengthen its position and contribute to a more robust financial outlook.

Sri Lanka and Australia have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence ties and exploring new avenues for cooperation, particularly in the areas of maritime domain awareness (MDA), training exchanges, and capacity-building initiatives.

This renewed focus on bilateral defence collaboration came during a meeting between Australian High Commissioner, Paul Stephens, and Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara on Tuesday (8).

A statement from the Ministry of Defence said that the courtesy call, held at the Deputy Minister’s office in Colombo, provided an opportunity for both sides to deliberate on key issues of mutual interest, with a specific focus on defence and security cooperation.

Maj Gen Jayasekara expressed his appreciation for Australia’s ongoing support in strengthening Sri Lanka’s maritime security and defence capabilities. He pointed to a recent example of collaboration between the two countries—the donation of a state-of-the-art Shallow Water Multi-Beam Echo Sounder by the Australian government to the Sri Lanka Navy Hydrographic Service (SLNHS).

The Deputy Minister highlighted that the advanced equipment had significantly enhanced Sri Lanka’s ability to survey harbours, coastal areas, and strategic waterways. He noted that this donation was not only an important step in strengthening national security but also contributed to broader regional maritime stability.