by Reemus Fernando

‎Vetum Chandul de Zoysa of Galewela Central hogged the limelight on the opening day of the All Island School Games Athletics Championship as he shattered one of Rumesh Tharanga’s longstanding meet records on Friday.

‎Chandul, who is trained by his parents, both physical education instructors, improved Rumesh Tharanga’s 2017 record twice during the event.

‎He first shattered the record when he cleared 55.67 metres in his third attempt to enter the best eight as the leader.

‎Then he further improved the record with a performance of 55.83 metres.

‎Tharanga’s record of 55.58 metres stood unshaken since 2017.

‎Current world leader in the javelin throw, Rumesh Tharanga took part in both the javelin and discus throw when he was attending St. Peter’s College.

Prima KottuMee has come on board as the Silver Sponsor of the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series 2026, throwing its weight behind Sri Lankan rugby as the national team prepares to take on the region’s best.

The prestigious tournament will reach its climax in Colombo on 17 and 18 October, giving local rugby enthusiasts an opportunity to witness some of Asia’s finest talent in action on home soil.

The 2026 edition features 24 national teams, with 12 sides each competing in the men’s and women’s categories, promising two days of fiercely contested rugby.

Prima KottuMee has been a longstanding supporter of Sri Lankan rugby, extending its backing to the sport at school, club and national levels.

Over the years, the brand has played an active role in supporting players, teams and tournaments, contributing to the development and promotion of rugby across the country.

With Colombo set to host the final leg of the series, Prima KottuMee hopes to add further momentum to the occasion while reaffirming its commitment to nurturing local sporting talent.

by Rex Clementine

The long awaited overhaul of Sri Lanka Cricket has reached a decisive stage, with the Supreme Court set to play a pivotal role next week in determining the fate of the proposed new constitution.

For months, legal experts have been burning the midnight oil, working on sweeping reforms aimed at dragging cricket administration into the modern era and bringing its governance structure into line with international standards. The draft constitution was presented to Parliament and following days of debate, received the legislature’s initial nod. The matter is now before the Supreme Court, where interested parties have been given an opportunity to raise objections.

A lawyer and former cricket board chief Thilanga Sumathipala have so far filed objections. The judges will examine whether these challenges have merit and more importantly, whether the proposed constitution is compatible with the law of the land.

One contentious provision that has raised eyebrows among key stakeholders is the proposal to strip District Cricket Associations of their voting rights.

October 20 is the deadline for submitting objections. The court will then fix dates for arguments, following which the judges are expected to communicate their determination to the Speaker of Parliament within 48 to 72 hours.

Parliament will subsequently have to complete the remaining legislative formalities before the new constitution can become law, potentially drawing the curtain on decades of mediocrity, mismanagement and administrative wrangling in cricket administration.

More objections had been anticipated from those who have called the shots at Maitland Place in recent years. Although several expressed reservations behind closed doors, few have shown any appetite for a courtroom battle.

There is a delicious irony here. When these gentlemen were running Sri Lanka Cricket, they would dash to Hulftsdorp at the drop of a hat, seeking judicial intervention even if a reporter called them ‘misfits’. Now, with the very structure that sustained them facing the axe, they appear to have developed a sudden case of cold feet.

The proposed constitution promises greater transparency in the running of the cash rich cricket board. Equally important is the emphasis on efficiency and professionalism, with suitably qualified individuals expected to occupy key administrative positions rather than appointments being dictated by friendships, club loyalties or reputations earned on the cricket field.

The Sunday Island learns that the Attorney General’s Department has been providing legal advice and expertise to the Cricket Transformation Committee from the outset.

Former ICC legal officer David Becker was also brought on board to lend his expertise to the drafting of the new constitution.

For years, successive governments have been reluctant to confront the cricket establishment, despite mounting public pressure for meaningful reform. Administrators survived one controversy after another, even weathering a unanimous parliamentary resolution calling for their removal following the national team’s disastrous performances.

Their survival owed much to their connections in the corridors of power. Whenever their positions came under serious threat, the spectre of Sri Lanka losing its ICC membership was raised, effectively holding the country’s cricketing future to ransom.

This time, however, the familiar manoeuvres have been conspicuous by their absence.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake recognised the depth of public dissatisfaction with cricket administration and opted for a different approach. Rather than installing a political loyalist, as has so often been the practice when filling influential positions, he entrusted the responsibility to Eran Wickramaratne, a figure from the opposition political camp.

A former first-class cricketer and banker, Wickramaratne brought financial expertise to an institution where fiscal discipline had long been a subject of concern.

AKD also enlisted the services of three respected former cricketers; Kumar Sangakkara, Roshan Mahanama and Sidath Wettimuny, to help steer Sri Lankan cricket through a difficult period.

It is said that members of the Cricket Transformation Committee, despite hailing largely from the Colombo and Kandy elite, have been so impressed by President AKD’s vision and his hands off approach to cricket administration that they are now inclined to cast their votes for the NPP at the next election. That, if true, would be quite a political transformation in its own right.

The results on the field have not arrived as quickly as supporters would have wished. Sri Lanka’s performances remain a source of frustration and there is still a mountain to climb before the national team can regain its standing among the game’s elite.

But one significant change is already evident. Those entrusted with the responsibility of putting cricket back on its feet have sent an unmistakable message: no individual, however celebrated or influential, is bigger than the game.

Even the superstars are beginning to fall in line.

That, in itself, is no small achievement in a cricketing culture where reputations have too often carried more weight than results.

The real test, of course, lies ahead. A new constitution alone will not produce world class cricketers or restore Sri Lanka to its former glory. But sound administration is the foundation on which lasting success must be built.

After years of false starts, broken promises and endless power struggles, Sri Lankan cricket finally has an opportunity to turn the page.