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Victoria Golf & Country Resort awarded Sri Lanka’s Best Golf Course at World Golf Awards

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Victoria Golf & Country Resort (VGCR) secured the award for Sri Lanka’s best golf course at the eighth Annual World Golf Awards. The World Golf Awards celebrate and reward excellence in golf tourism, world-class courses and golf destinations, recognizing leaders setting the benchmark in the industry. Votes are cast by professionals working within the golf industry and by golf tourism consumers.

VGCR is owned by John Keells Properties (JKP) and managed by Troon International. It is located by the Victoria Reservoir, in the hills of Digana. The golf course has been lauded for its picturesque nature and unique sporting experience.

“Victoria Golf & Country Resort’s recognition at the World Golf Awards is a validation of JKP’s investment in its properties and future growth, the untiring efforts of the staff and the faith that members, residents and guests have in the quality and distinctive experience on offer at the resort,” said Nayana Mawilmada, Sector Head of John Keells Properties and Executive Vice President – JKH.

The award also has considerable significance for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector. “Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is in the process of recovering from the pandemic. As we continue to navigate current challenges and as global tourism and travel gradually open, it is important to keep building and investing for the future. Golf tourism constitutes a key segment of the global travel and tourism marketplace. The award also provides a boost for the country as it signals Sri Lanka’s numerous offerings and experiences that speak to a wide demographic of global travellers,” noted Asela Wavita – General Manager of Victoria Golf and Country Resort.

The unique shapes and contours of VGCR, flanked by scenic vistas, create a challenging and memorable sporting experience even for seasoned golfers who have experienced fine courses around the world. Landscaped on a 517-acre land, the course was designed by Donald Steele & Co. in 1977 and is ranked among the “100 Most Beautiful Golf Courses in the World” by Golf Digest. VCGR’s recently introduced turnkey holiday villas and townhouses located within the golf course have been well received. Over 50% of Sunrise Ridge Holiday Homes have been sold to date while all premium land plots from phase one, which was launched in September 2020, have been sold out.

Further, the golf course and its facilities have been extensively renovated recently – the course was laid out with Turf Grass “Zorro Zoysia” from USA and installed with state-of-the-art automated irrigations systems. The recent award at the World Golf Awards reaffirms the quality of the course, unique experience and world-class standards at the Victoria Golf & Country Resort.

Victoria Golf & Country Resort is managed by Troon International, the biggest golf resort and club management company with over 640 resorts around the world. Through its partnership with VGCR, Troon International brings world-class agronomy practices and turf management as well as club house management and operations, offering unique golfing experiences in Sri Lanka and exclusive benefits and access to Troon-managed courses around the world for members of VGCR.

The World Golf Awards™ is part of World Travel Awards™, which is currently celebrating its 27th anniversary. Their global media partners include Destination Golf, TV5Monde, International New York Times, Bloomberg and CNBC with a monthly readership of 1.7 million and a TV audience reach of 90 million.



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Business

Dialog delivers strong growth, stronger national contribution in FY 2025

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Dialog Axiata PLC announced, Friday 6th February 2026, its consolidated financial results (Reviewed) for the year ended 31st December 2025. Financial results included those of Dialog Axiata PLC (the “Company”) and of the Dialog Axiata Group (the “Group”).

Group Performance

The Group delivered a strong performance across Mobile, Fixed Line and Digital Pay Television businesses recording a positive Core Revenue growth of 16% Year to Date (“YTD”). Group Headline Revenue reached Rs179.6Bn, up 5% YTD, despite the continued strategic scaling down of low-margin international wholesale business. In Q4 2025, Revenue was recorded at Rs46.5Bn up 2% Quarter-on-Quarter (“QoQ”) and 2% Year-on-Year (“YoY”).

The Group Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (“EBITDA”) reached Rs86.0Bn up 30% YTD supported by Core Revenue performance and Cost Rescaling Initiatives. On a QoQ basis Group EBITDA demonstrated a modest growth to record at Rs23.0Bn up 2% QoQ with an EBITDA margin of 49.5% in line with the Revenue performance. Group EBITDA margin reached 47.9% for FY 2025, up 9.2pp.

Group Net Profit After Tax (“NPAT”) reached Rs20.8Bn for FY 2025, up 67% YTD mainly resulting from robust EBITDA growth, despite higher tax and net finance costs. Normalized for forex impact, NPAT growth was recorded at +>100% YTD to reach Rs22.1Bn. On a QoQ basis NPAT grew 3% to reach Rs5.9Bn resulting from strong EBITDA performance.

On the back of strong operational performance, the Group recorded Operating Free Cash Flow (“OFCF”)

of Rs49.3Bn for FY 2025 up >100% YTD.

Dividend Payment to Shareholders

In line with the dividend policy and financial performance of the Group and taking into account the forward investment requirements to serve the nation’s demand for Broadband and Digital services, the Board of Directors of Dialog Axiata PLC at its meeting held on 6th February 2026, resolved to propose for consideration by the Shareholders of the Company, a dividend to ordinary shareholders amounting to Rs1.50 per share. The said dividend, if approved by shareholders, would translate to a Dividend Yield of 5.0% based on share closing price for FY 2025. The dividend so proposed will be considered for approval by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company, the date pertaining to which would be notified in due course.

Company and Subsidiary Performance

At an entity level, Dialog Axiata PLC (the “Company”) continued to be the primary contributor to Group Revenue (76%) and Group EBITDA (74%). Aided by sustained growth in the Data segment and cost-rescaling initiatives, Company revenue was recorded at Rs135.8Bn for FY 2025, up 18% YTD, EBITDA rose 32% YTD to reach Rs63.6Bn. On a QoQ basis, Q4 2025 Revenue was recorded at Rs34.8Bn, down 1% QoQ due to a reclassification of Hubbing Revenue, while EBITDA decline 1% QoQ to record Rs17.0Bn, largely attributable to network restoration costs and donations made in relation to the Cyclone Ditwah relief efforts. Furthermore, NPAT was recorded at Rs15.6Bn for FY 2025, up 41% YTD. Normalised for forex impacts, the company NPAT was up +>100% YTD to reach Rs17.0Bn. On a QoQ basis, Company NPAT was recorded at Rs4.5Bn, down 6% QoQ.

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Ceylinco Life’s Pranama Scholarships reach 25-year milestone

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Ceylinco Life has announced the launch of the 25th consecutive edition of its flagship Pranama Scholarships programme, marking a significant milestone in the company’s long-standing commitment to recognising and rewarding excellence among the children of its policyholders.

Under the 2026 programme, the life insurance market leader will present scholarships with a total cumulative value of Rs. 22.7 million, continuing a rewards initiative that has now been conducted without interruption for a quarter of a century. Since its inception, the Ceylinco Life Pranama Scholarships programme has benefitted 3,466 students across the country, representing a total investment of Rs. 240 million in nurturing academic achievement and outstanding performance in sports, arts and other extracurricular pursuits.

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Sri Lankans’ artistic genius glowingly manifests at Kala Pola ‘26

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The spirit of Sri Lanka as it was ably captured by an artist.

The artistic genius of Sri Lankans was amply manifest all over again at ‘Kala Pola ‘26’ which was held on February 8th at Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha Colombo 7; the usual, teeming and colourful venue for this annual grand exhibition and celebration of the work of local visual artists.

If there is one thing that has flourished memorably and resplendently in Sri Lanka over the centuries it is the artistic capability or genius of its people. It is something that all Sri Lankans could feel a sense of elation over because from the viewpoint of the arts, Sri Lanka is second to no other nation. With regard to the visual arts a veritable dazzling radiance of this inborn and persisting capability is seen at the annual open air ‘Kala Pola’.

A bird of Sri Lanka created from scraps of iron waste.

All capable visual artists, wherever they hail from in Sri Lanka, enjoy the opportunity of exhibiting their work at the ‘Kala Pola’ and this is a distinctive ‘positive’ of this annual event that draws numberless artists and viewers. There was an abundance of paintings, sketches and sculptures, for instance, and one work was as good as the other. Ample and equal space was afforded each artist. Its widely participatory and open nature enables one to describe the exhibition as exuding a profoundly democratic ethos.

Accordingly, this time around at ‘Kala Pola ‘26’ too Sri Lankans’ creative efforts were there to be viewed, studied and enjoyed in the customary carnival atmosphere where connoisseurs, local and foreign, met in a sprit of camaraderie and good cheer. Many thanks are owed once again to the George Keyt Foundation for the presentation of the event in association with the John Keells Group and the John Keells Foundation, not forgetting the Nations Trust Bank, which was the event’s Official Banking Partner. The exhibition was officially declared open by Chief Guest Marc-Andre Franche, UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka.

By Lynn Ockersz

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