News
Namal vows to make cricket free from political interference
By Saman Indrajith
Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa told Parliament yesterday that the collapse of cricket in Sri Lanka had commenced five years back and politicians had no right to get involved in cricket administration in the name of reviving the game.
Responding to a question raised by Matara District SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana, Minister Rajapaksa said that Sri Lanka Cricket was an independent body.
MP Pathirana wanted to know why a special committee had been appointed.
“The game started to collapse five years back. We have no right to interfere in the matters of Sri Lanka cricket. There is a need for amending the existing laws and the Sports Act. A committee of professionals has been appointed to assist the task of drafting the new Act. You should understand that cricket is one and administration of cricket is another. We have appointed a separate committee under the chairmanship of former cricketer Aravinda de Silva. The committee comprises other former players including Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan. It is expected to bring about proposals to improve the game. Reviving the game should start from the school level and we must look after good players from the age of 17 years. It may take at least five to six years to build a good international player. If we start now we may build a good player for the 2023 World Cup. We are against mixing politics with the game.”
Minister Rajapaksa said that in addition to cricket his ministry was focused on improving football in the country. “We plan to increase the number of those engaged in football. We think we can increase that number up to two million. The contribution of the government to the development of football is not enough. We have commenced a new project titled Football Friday. We have made short, medium and long term plans to improve soccer in this country. Currently Sri Lanka is ranked 206 in the list of soccer playing countries in the world. It is our intention to bring this up to 150th rank in the near future.”
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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