Sports

An extract from Manil’s manifesto for football

Published

5 years ago

2021/05/29

Even in the presence of deeply rooted divisions, shared experiences can be an effective nation-building tool and can have a tangible effect on bringing the community together. Sport, specifically Football, could be utilized to create this shared experience amongst the community by forging a common identity where individuals see themselves as a part of a nation as a whole, as opposed to specific racial, religious or other groups. The international community have comprehended this concept and placed importance on sport. With over four billion followers, football is the most popular sport worldwide and is definitely a sport that has strengthened national identities for centuries. Yet, Sri Lanka has not yet given football the importance it deserves and thus, lags behind in the sports arena when compared to the rest of the world. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to develop football in Sri Lanka. The first step in order to do so, is to focus on developing basic football related infrastructure facilities in the country and also by instigating pro-active programs to spike an interest and skill in the game especially amongst the youth and younger students in the country. Grass root level initiatives including fundamental and transformative changes in key areas such as administration, competition planning, youth and women participation, digitization, coach education etc. must be introduced in order to truly develop the sport in the country. Additionally, action must be taken to eradicate corruption and undue politics that have infiltrated sports bodies and authorities in order to ensure true development and progress of the sport in Sri Lanka.

Our community possesses countless talented and skilled youngsters especially in the field of football. Yet, this potential remains squandered and fruitless as Sri Lankan schools and clubs do not have much to offer with regards to football. All children, regardless of gender, race or religion deserve the opportunity to excel in their passion. Thus we as a community, have a responsibility to develop the spectacular sport of football in Sri Lanka in order to provide our future generations with a competitive and appropriate platform to engage in this ever loved sport.

These are the main ideologies and proposals discussed in “Football First, Let’s play” which is the manifesto presented by Manil Fernando. With an undying passion towards the sport and an unending commitment towards developing football in Sri Lanka, Manil will be contesting for the post of president at the election of the Sri Lanka Football Federation (SLFF). To fully comprehend Manil’s vision, mission and plan of action towards evolving football in Sri Lanka, the full manifesto can be read and viewed via video through the ‘Football First; Let’s play’ Facebook page.

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Sports

Old and new at the SSC, just like Pakistan

Published

18 mins ago

2026/02/19

Priyan

This signage is a small detail, but it says something about the SSC. [Cricinfo]

At the outdoor nets of the Sinhalese Sports Club, a laminated notice greets parents of young, aspiring cricketers.

“Please do not remain in this area and watch the children at practice, since both the children & coaches find it difficult to concentrate on their task when parents are watching!”

Dated January 7, 2025 and pinned carefully at eye level, the notice asks parents to move to the upper deck of the main pavilion instead. They can still watch, just not from directly behind the nets.

It is a small detail, but it says something about the SSC.

This is one of cricket’s most old-fashioned venues, tucked away in a quiet, leafy part of Colombo, where wooden staircases still creak underfoot, stone walls wear their age openly, dark green interiors are accented with gold and grassbanks frame the outfield. But, even here, change has begun to find its way in. The advisory at the nets is one such sign, a response to modern hands-on parenting and the desire to stay close to the action.

The six state-of-the-art floodlight towers tell the same story. Installed only recently, they enabled the venue’s first day-night fixture just days ago. They do not quite blend into the Colombo skyline that’s proudly visible beyond the grassbanks, but they signal change. The SSC has not abandoned what it is; it has simply made room for what the present demands.

At this very venue, under those same lights, Pakistan found their own balance between the old and the new.

Coming off a heavy defeat to India, this was a must-win fixture against Namibia. The response was emphatic: a 102-run victory, their biggest margin in T20 World Cups, achieved not through reinvention but through recalibration.

Let’s be honest, Pakistan have been difficult to recognise at first glance in recent months. Since July 2024, they have bowled more than 51% of their overs through spin, the third most among Full Member nations. Against India last Sunday, they leaned even further into that shift, bowling five of the six PowerPlay overs with spin despite allowing India first use of the pitch. For a team historically defined by fast bowling, it felt like a sharp pivot, almost an attempt to become something else. But come this match against Namibia, there was adjustment without over-correction.

Pakistan went back to opening the bowling with pace from both ends, a quiet nod to their past as much as to the conditions. They did not abandon spin but leaned into it gradually, allowing the pitch to slow down and the ball to get scuffed up. The reward was eight wickets for the spinners, the joint-most for Pakistan in a T20 World Cup but it was the early strike from pace in the PowerPlay that set it up.

Finding that balance between old and new also required uncomfortable decisions. Shaheen Afridi, who had struggled for rhythm against India with both the new and old ball, was left out. The new ball instead went to Salman Mirza, a fellow left-arm pacer who justified the call with an early strike.

Pakistan were equally deliberate with the bat. When Salman Agha fell in the 13th over, it was not Babar Azam who walked out. It was Khawaja Nafay. And when Nafay fell, it was Shadab Khan.

The batting order was not accidental. Since returning to the T20I side after missing the Asia Cup, Babar has struck at 101.70 against spin. Each of his five dismissals in 2026 have come against it. Namibia had at least three bowlers who turn the ball away from him.

“As a professional, you should not mind such things,” Shadab Khan said after the match, “The environment in the team is very good. The messaging is quite clear. Every player is trying to help the team win.

“There were clear messages given to every batter. Everyone has been told what their entry point is going to be,” he added. “I think Babar has also been given a clear message about his entry point. The combinations will keep on changing as per the conditions.”

Flexibility showed up in the combination as well. Pakistan went in with an extra batter in Nafay at the cost of Abrar Ahmad, a specialist spinner, trusting that Salman Agha’s overs would provide cover. They still had six bowling options, four of them spinners, but the shape of the side felt less rigid than it had a week ago. Pakistan have played two other matches at the SSC during this T20 World Cup but it was the first time they went in with this combination.

“I think we have the luxury of spinners,” Pakistan captain Salman Agha said at the post-match presentation. “We have all-rounders who can bat and bowl and then we have a proper match winner [Usman Tariq] when it comes to spin bowling. So if you have that much spin bowling in Sri Lanka, you don’t really need to bowl a fast bowler in the middle. And if we need to bowl a fast bowler in the middle, we have the bowlers who can do that as well. But right now, we are fine bowling with the spinners.”

One constant from the older order was Sahibzada Farhan. With Babar waiting out his turn in the dugout Farhan tightened his grip at the top, producing his maiden T20I hundred. It was also his fifth T20 century since 2025, underlining both his form and his growing importance to a side that doesn’t quite clear the ropes as freely as some of the other teams around.

At 30 off 27 balls, it was hardly a fluent beginning. Farhan battled sweaty gloves that made it difficult to grip the handle, and cramps in his right leg, before shifting gears. He needed just 31 more deliveries to bring up his hundred. It was an innings built on patience before power.

Perhaps, it was fitting that it happened here at the SSC. Where parents are not banished but simply asked to step back, and where LED floodlights rise above chandelier-lit dressing rooms. Here, the old and the new have learnt to coexist, and Pakistan found a similar equilibrium against Namibia. They didn’t abandon spin, didn’t stubbornly cling to pace and didn’t let reputation dictate selection or batting order. Under those lights, which lit up for the final time at this T20 World Cup, Pakistan rediscovered how to win without losing themselves.

[Cricbuzz]

Sports

‎Sri Lanka eye England rematch after sealing Super Eight berth

Published

8 hours ago

2026/02/19

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka fans turned up in numbers as the team sent Australia packing at Pallekele. The former champions failed to qualify for the Super Eight stage.

Sri Lanka became the first side from Group ‘B’ to punch their ticket to the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, getting the job done with a game to spare and ticking the qualification box in clinical fashion. While they still have Zimbabwe to contend with in their final league outing today, the bigger fish to fry awaits on Sunday, a heavyweight rematch against England at Pallekele.

Earlier this month, England handed Sri Lanka a humbling 3-0 whitewash in a bilateral series at the same venue. Sri Lanka’s batting unit, in particular, was found wanting as England’s spinners kept them on a tight leash. But batting coach Vikram Rathour is not losing sleep over that setback, insisting the scoreline flattered the visitors.

“We have had three good games. I don’t think there were any issues as such during the England series with batting. We had some good games and not so good games. I wasn’t concerned about the results during that series. It was all about getting the process right,” said Rathour, who is contracted with Sri Lanka until the end of the World Cup.

Rathour, part of India’s backroom staff when they lifted the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean in 2024, knows a thing or two about peaking at the business end of a tournament. He stressed that dwelling on past scars would be counter-productive.

“We need to play to our strengths. We need to focus on the game and not think too much about the past or the future,” he explained.

Before they lock horns with England, however, Sri Lanka must first negotiate Zimbabwe, the tournament’s dark horses who have already sent Australia packing and gatecrashed the second round. The African side have punched above their weight, breathing fire with the new ball and showing steel with the bat.

“Zimbabwe have played really well so far. They have a decent bowling unit. We need to play to our potential. If we can stick to our plans and execute them well, that will be good for us,” Rathour said.

Sri Lanka’s resurgence has been underpinned by a batting unit beginning to hum in unison. Opener Pathum Nissanka has become the cynosure of all eyes after his majestic hundred against Australia, the first century of this tournament, a knock that blended timing, temperament and a touch of audacity.

“It was almost the perfect batting knock. Pathum played one of the best T20 innings you will ever see. Kusal Mendis has been very consistent with three half-centuries in three games. Pavan Rathnayake has been good against spinners, using his feet well. We have played to our potential and we need to be consistent in doing that.”

Conditions, though, will once again demand adaptability. Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium is a different kettle of fish to the truer surfaces of Pallekele, where Sri Lanka outplayed Australia. At RPS, the ball grips, stops and asks awkward questions, a venue where flat-track bullies often come unstuck.

“I read a great line where someone had said that these are not tough conditions but these are different conditions. We have enough skill in the side to adapt to these conditions,” Rathour noted.

by Rex Clementine

Sports

Gateway to host 24th International Schools’ Athletics Championship

Published

8 hours ago

2026/02/19

Sahan Weerasooriya

Addressing the media about the event, from left to right; Ms. Thilaka Jinadasa, Consultant ISAC 2026, Amaya Herath, Executive Director, Home Lands Group, Dayan Fernando, Chairman-TISSL, Dr. Harsha Alles, Chairman of Gateway Group and Founder Chairman of TISSL, Premila Paulraj, Director Employability and Qualifications, Pearson South Asia, Akshaya Kumarajeewa, Marketing Manager, AVI and Ramantha Alles, Chairman, ISAC 2026.

Gateway College, a pioneer in international school education in Sri Lanka, is set to host the prestigious International Schools’ Athletics Championship (ISAC 2026) at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium Diyagama over the weekend.

First held in 2001, ISAC has evolved into the flagship sporting event on the international schools’ calendar, showcasing the athletic excellence of students from 22 leading international schools across the country.

Founded by the late R. I. T. Alles, ISAC has played a pivotal role in advancing competitive sport among international schools, leaving behind an enduring legacy that has contributed significantly to the development of athletics in Sri Lanka.

The championship is expected to attract approximately 1,554 athletes and 300 technical officials, representing the participating schools. With an anticipated audience exceeding 15,000 students, parents and alumni, ISAC 2026 promises to be a vibrant celebration of athleticism, sportsmanship and camaraderie.

Commenting on the event’s national significance Ramantha Alles, Director of Gateway Group, stated, “ISAC has become an important platform for nurturing talented athletes and showcasing junior athletes of international repute. The standard of athletics among international schools has steadily progressed, with several athletes advancing to national and international levels, contributing to high-quality competition.”

Expressing his appreciation for their generous support, Dr. Harsha Alles, Chairman of the Gateway Group, stated, “It is heartening to see Pearson Edexcel as the Principal Sponsor, actively contributing to the holistic development of pupils, Home Lands as the Platinum Sponsor, extending its support to schools and Education and AVI as the Sportswear Partner, playing a valuable role in promoting sportswear and strengthening school sport.”

The event is further supported by Sense Rehabilitation and Sports Hospital as the Official Healthcare Partner, The Papare.com as the Official Broadcasting Partner, Yeti as the Official Hydration Partner and Dinemore Go as the Official Medal Sponsor.

ISAC 2026 will be conducted in accordance with TISSL rules and regulations and the International Athletics Federation Competition Rules. All athletes will compete using a common identity card issued by TISSL, the association representing member international schools.

Participating TISSL member schools for ISAC 2026 include: Asian International School, Belvoir College International, The British School in Colombo, Burhani Serendib School, Colombo International School, Colombo. Colombo International School, Kandy, Elizabeth Moir School, Gateway College, Colombo, Gateway College, Kandy, Horizon College International, Ilma International Girls School, Leeds International School, Panadura, Lyceum International School, Nugegoda, Lyceum International School, Panadura, Lyceum International School, Ratnapura, Lyceum International School, Wattala, OKI International School, Royal Institute, Stafford International School, St. Nicholas International School, Wycherley International School, Colombo, Wycherley International School, Gampaha.