It was Raveen Wijayatilake’s passion for gaming that brought together many fellow gamers back in 2007. From becoming an IOC (International Olympic Committee) certified Sports Administrator, to hosting premier Esports tournaments the world over (including Play Expo & Comic Expo around the island), these illustrious beginnings of his have since grown to now serve a niche industry of marketing – but only for video games.

The first of its kind in Sri Lanka, InGame Esports (IGE), known in Sri Lanka as Gamer.LK, founded by Wijayatilake, is a video games marketing agency that powers game developers and publishers with holistic go-to-market strategies – from broadcast and event management, to global PR, content creation, and media placements both online and offline.

With 100+ campaigns thriving across 6 countries, and with leading names such as Tencent Games, Miniclip, Dell, Samsung and Coca Cola making their client list, IGE, with Raveen’s founding leadership, has now also established its presence in the African continent. Coined IGE V2, IGE’s AI marketing technology arm is all set to make headway as a specialised marketing offering which powers video game publishers with go-to-market strategies that are built by gamers, for gamers.

“Video Games is a world of its own, and so are its marketing needs and challenges,” remarks Wijayatilake, a recent recipient of the prestigious 40 Under 40 award by Campaign Asia, a top marketing publication in the APAC region.

The stock market performance of companies with large market capitalisation left much to be desired yesterday due to interest rate hikes and profits-takings, market analysts said.

The All Share Price Index went down by 118 points, while the S and P SL20 declined by 22.37 points. Turnover stood at Rs 1.54 billion with six crossings.

Those crossings were: JKH crossed 30 million shares to the tune of Rs 264 million; its shares traded at Rs 20, Sathosa Motors 75000 shares crossed for Rs 90 million; its shares traded at Rs 1200, WindForce two million shares crossed to the tune of Rs 80 million; its shares sold at Rs 40, Chevron Lubricants 250,000 shares crossed to the tune of Rs 50 million; its shares traded at Rs 200, Access Engineering 600,000 shares crossed for Rs 47 million; its shares sold at Rs 78.

In the retail market companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were: ACL Cables Rs 46 million (450,000 shares traded), JKH Rs 43 million (2.1 million shares traded), Sathosa Mortors Rs 35 million (213,000 shares traded), HNB Finance Rs 34 million (3.9 million shares traded), CCS Rs 34 million (255,000 shares traded) and SLT Rs 33 million (376,000 shares traded). During the day 58 million share volumes changed hands in 16275 transactions.

It is said that manufacturing sector counters, especially JKH, performed well while financial and leasing sector counters also moved well.

The Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (IRCSL) removed the suspension imposed on the registration of SANASA Life Insurance with effect from July 6, subject to the company fulfilling certain conditions.

Yesterday the rupee was quoted at Rs 334.65/75 to the US dollar in the spot market, from Rs 334.90/335.00 the previous day, while bond yields edged up, dealers said.

The telegraphic transfer rate for Sri Lanka’s rupee against the US dollar was Rs 330.50 buying, Rs 339.50 selling; the euro was Rs 375.6944 selling, Rs 389.6114 buying; and the pound was Rs 441.8078 buying, Rs 455.8534 selling.

By Hiran H. Senewiratne

Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Sri Lanka’s economic and social development with the inauguration of the USD 50 million Faculty of Medicine at Sabaragamuwa University, a flagship investment expected to strengthen higher education, healthcare capacity and human capital while reinforcing the growing bilateral partnership between the two countries.

The project, financed by the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), was inaugurated on Saturday in the presence of Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education Harini Amarasuriya, Saudi Ambassador to Sri Lanka Khalid Hamoud Al Kahtani, SFD Deputy Chief Executive Officer Eng. Faisal Al-Kahtani, senior government officials and representatives of both countries.

Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya described the project as another milestone in the enduring partnership between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia, expressing appreciation for the Saudi Fund for Development’s continued support in expanding higher education and creating opportunities for future generations of Sri Lankan students.

The premier said the new Faculty of Medicine would help address the country’s growing demand for qualified medical professionals while strengthening the national healthcare system.

Ambassador Khalid Hamoud Al Kahtani said the inauguration reflected the “strong and enduring partnership” between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka and underscored the two nations’ shared commitment to education, healthcare and sustainable development.

The Ambassador added:”This achievement stands as a testament to our shared commitment to advancing education, healthcare and sustainable development.”

The Ambassador paid tribute to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Mohammed bin Salman for their vision and continued support for international development initiatives that foster economic cooperation and sustainable growth across partner countries.

He also commended the Saudi Fund for Development for financing and implementing the project, describing the Faculty as an investment in human capital, knowledge and Sri Lanka’s future healthcare workforce.

“We are confident that this new Faculty will play a vital role in educating future generations of medical professionals, serving the people of Sri Lanka and further strengthening the close friendship and cooperation between our two countries,” the Ambassador said.

SFD Deputy CEO Eng. Faisal Al-Kahtani said the project represented far more than a new academic institution.

“It is an investment in people, knowledge and opportunity. For more than four decades, the Saudi Fund for Development has partnered Sri Lanka in projects that improve lives and support sustainable economic and social development,” he said.

The state-of-the-art Faculty of Medicine features modern laboratories, para-clinical teaching facilities and a comprehensive library, significantly expanding Sri Lanka’s medical education infrastructure.

Since 1981, the Saudi Fund for Development has provided approximately USD 422.7 million through 15 development loans supporting 12 major projects in education, healthcare, water supply, transport and energy, making Saudi Arabia one of Sri Lanka’s key development partners in long-term infrastructure and human resource development.

By Ifham Nizam