Sports
Jaffna recognised as most active basketball body

Sri Lanka Basketball Federation (SLBF) recently felicitated Jaffna District Basketball Association (JDBA) as the most active arm of the sports body. JDBA had conducted a record number of basketball events during the last year. Apart from basketball tournaments, there had been education camps for coaches and referees taking the standards of basketball in the district to new levels with 14 events conducted within the year.
JDBA has been recognized as the most active association of the SLBF.
Sports
International Schools accused of poaching athletes for ISAC glory

At the recently concluded International Schools Athletic Championship (ISAC), Lyceum International School Wattala emerged as champions. However, during the competition, a protest was lodged, alleging that one of Lyceum Wattala’s athletes was on the payroll of the Sri Lanka Army and, therefore, ineligible to participate in ISAC. Following an inquiry, the athlete was disqualified, and the points he had earned were deducted from the school’s total. By that time, he had already won gold medals in the Long Jump, Triple Jump, and 4x100m relay.
Lyceum Wattala has built a reputation for excelling in sports, but many attribute this success to its large-scale recruitment of athletes through scholarships. Notably, the two champion athletes of this year’s ISAC had previously represented other schools. Further inquiries have now revealed that another athlete, who competed for Lyceum Wattala at ISAC 2025 and secured the Under-20 Champion title by winning the 400m, 110m hurdles, and 4x400m relay, is also on the payroll of the Sri Lanka Army.
Unethical practices of this nature create an unhealthy competitive environment and discourage underprivileged schools, which struggle to retain their talent. Lyceum is not the only international school offering scholarships to top athletes; other international schools have also followed suit. One such leading institution, known for its strong academic results, has extended its scholarship program to sports, aggressively recruiting high-achieving students from other schools.
This school has reportedly granted scholarships to several students and even gone as far as providing free textbooks, exam fees, and opportunities for foreign travel.
Rather than nurturing homegrown talent, these international schools seem more focused on acquiring ready-made athletes from other institutions. The era of developing skilled players appears to be fading, as these schools increasingly prioritize assembling teams over fostering individual talents.
Latest News
Bates, Illing, Halliday star to level the series at 1-1

Strong all-round performances fromSuzie Bates and Brooke Halliday along with a breakout bowling display from Bree Illing helped New Zealand breeze to a seven wicket win against Sri Lanka in Christchurch to level the series at 1-1.
New Zealand’s bowlers set the tone with a frugal display after winning the toss and electing to bowl, restricting Sri Lanka to 113 for 7 in their 20 overs before Bates and Halliday made 47 and 46 not out respectively as the hosts cruised home with seven wickets and nine balls to spare. Bates was named player of the match after also bowling four overs for just 16 runs while Halliday also took 1 for 12 with the ball in addition to posting her highest T20I score.
Illing made use of the early morning start picking up a wicket in the opening over and a second in the seventh as she bowled straight with the new ball to finish with figures of 2 for 18 in just her second T20I after going wicketless in her debut in game one of the series on Friday
Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu was well held as Eden Carson, Jess Kerr and Bates were rotated at the other end with the latter bowling a maiden to Athapaththu in her first over. The scoreboard pressure told when Kerr castled her for 23 off 29 in the following over, the ninth of the innings, with Sri Lanka stalled at 3 for 46.
That soon became 4 for 53 when debutant Flora Devonshire picked up a wicket in her first over in international cricket.
Sri Lanka steadied thanks to a 54-run stand between Manudi Nanayakkara and Nilakshika Silva. Nanyakkara made 35 from 32 with four boundaries while Silva made 20 from 22. But neither player could break free as Bates bowled four overs for just 16 runs while Halliday also took a wicket in her two overs for 11 runs. Kerr took a wicket in the final over to finish with figures of 2 for 29.
New Zealand’s chase started poorly with Georgia Plimmer caught behind in the second over for just 4. Emma McLeod followed suit in the seventh over for a sluggish 11 from 13 but Bates controlled the chase at the other. Safe in the knowledge she needed less than a run-a-ball, she struck just four boundaries and only faced consecutive dot balls once in her 46-ball innings before she was caught and bowled in 15th over with 29 still needed to win.
Halliday ensured they were knocked off with ease striking multiple boundaries in both the 16th and 18th overs as she made 46 not out from 40 balls to steer her side home and go past her previous T20I best of 38.
The series will be decided in the third T20I in Dunedin on Tuesday.
Brief scores:
New Zealand Women 117 for 3 in 18.3 overs (Suzie Bates 47, Emma McLeod 11, Brooke Halliday 46*; Inoshi Priyadarshini 1-19, Sugandika Kumari 1-16, Achini Kulasuriya 1-11)beat Sri Lanka Women 113 for 7 in 20 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 23, Harshith Samarawickrema 11, Kavisha Dilhari 12, Manudi Nanyakkara 35, Nilakshika Silva 20; Bree Illing 2-18, Jess Kerr 2-29, Flora Devonshire 1-12, Brooke Halliday 1-11) by seven wickets
[Cricinfo]
Sports
Chandraguptha in the running for a Test spot

by Rex Clementine
We have just witnessed a fiercely contested First-Class season culminate in Bloomfield being crowned champions – a long-awaited triumph after 15 years in the wilderness. The tournament had all the hallmarks of a riveting contest, but as the dust settles, a significant shake-up has taken center stage.
In a bold yet ruthless move, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wielded the axe to trim down the number of First-Class teams, aiming to restore quality over quantity. The biggest casualty? The country’s premier cricket club, SSC, found itself unceremoniously relegated, a decision that sent shockwaves through the cricketing fraternity. Joining them in the drop zone were Ragama CC, Negombo CC, and Kandy Customs. With two more teams set to face the chop next season, the club circuit will be streamlined to just 12 teams, a significant reduction from the previous 26-team structure.
Kudos to SLC for finally making the tough call. Over the years, the First-Class tournament had been diluted beyond recognition, with too many teams and not enough competitive edge. Now, with a leaner and meaner structure, the domestic circuit is expected to regain its sharpness. The top performers from the club season will graduate to the NSL, Sri Lanka’s highly competitive provincial tournament, which carries First-Class status. Selection for the Test team will now be heavily influenced by performances in this high-intensity arena.
With Sri Lanka enduring a rough patch in Test cricket – losing four consecutive matches (two against South Africa and two against Australia) – some inevitable changes are on the horizon. The biggest talking point? The vacant opener’s slot, left behind by the departure of Dimuth Karunaratne.
The race to fill that void is heating up, and two prolific openers have thrown their hats into the ring with impressive returns in the club season. NCC’s Lahiru Udara finished as the leading run-getter, amassing 787 runs at 56, while Bloomfield’s Ron Chandraguptha wasn’t far behind with 729 runs at 48.
Until the First-Class final, Udara seemed to be the front-runner. The 31-year-old has been a consistent performer and has already been around the national squad as a backup opener. But in cricket, big games often redefine narratives, and Chandraguptha seized his moment with a performance that turned the final on its head.
Heading into the summit clash, NCC were overwhelming favourites. With half a dozen Sri Lanka internationals in their ranks, they had the firepower to dictate terms. But one man – Ron Kashyapa Chandraguptha – rewrote the script.
Batting against the odds, he produced a monumental innings, a knock for the ages that swung the pendulum Bloomfield’s way. In scorching Colombo heat, he displayed unwavering concentration, unbreakable patience, and sheer resilience, grinding it out for two full days at the crease. His maiden double century not only batted NCC out of the contest but also catapulted his name into the national selection debate.
What was once a one-horse race for the Test opener’s slot is now a two-way contest. Udara had the early momentum, but Chandraguptha has forced selectors into a rethink. With the NSL tournament in progress, whoever performs better in the next few weeks will likely get the selector’s nod.
While the opener’s position is in focus, another name is knocking on the door for a middle-order berth – Pasindu Sooriyabandara. The 25-year-old Royalist has built an impressive First-Class record, averaging 56 after 50 games. This season, he was instrumental in Moors SC’s campaign, racking up 620 runs at a staggering average of 88.
A player with sound temperament and a wide range of strokes, Sooriyabandara appears ready for the next step. With Sri Lanka struggling for consistency in Test cricket, his introduction into the national setup seems more a matter of when rather than if.
With Sri Lanka’s Test team in transition, the NSL will be a defining tournament. Players like Udara, Chandraguptha, and Sooriyabandara have put themselves in contention, but the final decision rests in how they handle the next big challenge.
One thing is certain—domestic cricket has regained its competitive edge. With fewer teams, higher stakes, and players stepping up on the big occasions, Sri Lanka’s red-ball future may just be heading in the right direction.
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