Sports

Grand Finale of the President’s Gold Cup powered by Dialog Axiata to spike-off on Saturday

Published

5 years ago

2020/09/24

The first national level sporting event to be held since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the grand finale of Sri Lanka’s top Volleyball tourney – the President’s Gold Cup 2019 Powered by Dialog, will spike-off on 26thSeptember 2020 at the Maharagama Youth Centre.

The two-day season finale will be played in accordance to the directive and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Sports.

The women’s final played between Maha-usweva Rathanapala and Radawana Golden Bird and the highly anticipated, hard fought men’s final to be played between Gampaha Siyane Tharu and Debagama Ran Tharu will spike-off from 1.00 pm onwards.

The precursor to the grand finale, the U-23 category women’s match will be contested between Maha-usweva Rathnapala and Kegalle Hidramani, while the men’s grand final between Nathandiya United and Wenappuwa Joseph Vaas, will commence at 1.00 pm on 25th September.

“It’s indeed an honour and privilege to hold Sri Lanka’s first national level tourney with Sri Lanka’s national sport, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. I would like to thank our title sponsor Dialog Axiata for the support rendered towards us to conduct this tourney during this challenging period,” said President of the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya MP, Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of Committees.

The President’s Gold Cup Championship Powered by Dialog, the largest tourney to be held in Sri Lanka, officially commenced in September 2019 with the participation of 2,500 teams and over 40,000 players. As a result of the social distancing regulations set by the government to control the outbreaks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the grand final of the tourney and the final matches of the Dialog National Junior Volleyball Championship and President’s Gold Cup Championship were postponed to the present date, after careful consideration of the health and safety of the players and spectators.

In last year’s grand finale, Siyane Tharu S.C and Casual S.C were the Men and Women Champions respectively.

Dialog Axiata is also the proud sponsor of the Sri Lanka National Cricket, Rugby, Volleyball and Netball teams. In addition to its connection with the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, the Company also has close associations with the National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, Premier Football, Schools’ Cricket, Schools’ Rugby, and Paralympic sports – by powering the Army Para Games, National Para Games, and the Sri Lankan contingent to the Olympic and World Paralympic Games.

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Sports

ICC shortlists venues for 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka

Published

2 hours ago

2025/11/8

Thilina Walpola

Ahmedabad will host the final of the 2026 T20 World Cup, unless Pakistan qualify for it

The ICC has finalised Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai as the venues in India for the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka as well. It is understood the ICC has shortlisted two venues in Colombo and Kandy as the three venues in Sri Lanka.

The T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7 and will conclude with the final in Ahmedabad on March 8. According to PTI, the ICC is likely to release the schedule next week, with just about three months to go for the start of the tournament. It is understood that the majority of the participating countries have been waiting for the ICC to inform them about the grouping of teams as well as the schedule. The ICC is also yet to release ticketing information for the tournament.

Pakistan will play all their games in Sri Lanka as per the agreement reached between the BCCI and PCB for India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues during multi-nation tournaments hosted by the other country. If Pakistan make the final, the fixture will be held in Sri Lanka.

The 2026 T20 World Cup will have the same format as the previous edition – 20 teams split into four groups of five each, with every team playing the others once. The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super-eight stage, where they will be placed into two groups of four. The top two sides from each Super-eight group will then qualify for the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-final will meet in the final.

Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the other teams with automatic qualification to the tournament were the top seven teams from the 2024 T20 World Cup – Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America and West Indies. The three teams that qualified on the basis of their T20I rankings were New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland.

Canada took the lone spot from the Americas Qualifier. Italy, first time T20 World Cup participants, and Netherlands, qualified from the five-team tournament in Europe. Namibia and Zimbabwe grabbed the two spots from the eight-team African qualifier before Nepal, Oman and UAE made it from the Asian -EAP round.

India are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados.

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Yashitha wins men’s singles title

Published

2 hours ago

2025/11/8

Thilina Walpola

Yashitha De Silva (Pic by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

Mercantile Tennis Tournament 2025

Yashitha De Silva of MAS Holding beat Sanka Athukarala of Lanka Minerals & Chemical to clinch the Division I men’s singles title of the Mercantile Tennis tournament held at Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts.

Yashitha beat Sanka 6-3, 3-6, 10-8 in the final.

Latest News

Eshan Malinga picked for white-ball tour of Pakistan; Rajapaksa back for T20Is

Published

11 hours ago

2025/11/7

Priyan

Bhanuka Rajapaksa last played a T20I in January this year [Cricinfo]

Dasun Shanaka has been named Sri Lanka’s vice-captain for the upcoming T20I tri-series that will also involve Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Fast bowler Eshan Malinga, meanwhile, is in line to make his debut in the same series while also being included in the ODI squad for the three matches against Pakistan before the tri-series begins.

Dilshan Madushanka has been ruled out of the ODI series as he hasn’t yet recovered from a knee injury, and was replaced by Malinga, whereas Matheesha Pathirana isn’t a part of the T20I squad as he is recovering from an upper respiratory tract infection. Pathirana was replaced by Asitha Fernando.

Top-order batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who last played a T20I at the start of the year, was back in the squad for the shortest format, having missed two bilateral series and the Asia Cup since then.

Left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage didn’t find a spot in either of the 16-member squads, but he will lead Sri Lanka A in the Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup in Doha later this month.

Sri Lanka’s ODIs against Pakistan are all scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi, on November 11, 13 and 15. Those will be followed by the tri-series from November 17 in Rawalpindi and Lahore, with the final slated for November 29.

Sri Lanka squads

ODIs: Charith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranaga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan, Eshan Malinga

T20I tri-series: Charith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Kamil Mishara, Dasun Shanaka (vice-capt), Kamindu Mendis, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranaga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Asitha Fernando, Eshan Malinga

[Cricinfo]