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A 2-0 series win for South Africa…
South Africa defeated the Irland team by 44 runs in the last and second T20 match held on 5th August. Along with that, South Africa has managed to win four international T20 matches in the last ten days.
Batting first, South Africa scored 182 runs for the loss of six wickets at the end of the twenty overs. When four wickets fell for 85 runs, the African batters led by captain David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen managed to score 89 runs in the last six overs.
The Irland team, which entered the field chasing a winning target of 183, scored only 138 runs in 18.3 overs. Wayne Parnell who took 5 wickets for 30 runs and won the award as the hero of the match.
2nd match summary
SOUTH AFRICA INNINGS 182/6 20 Ov (RR: 9.10)
Reeza Hendricks 42 (40)
Heinrich Klaasen 39 (16)
David Miller 32 (20)
Gareth Delaney 24/2 (4)
IRELAND INNINGS 138 18.5 Ov
(Target: 183 runs from 20 overs)
Harry Tector 34 (31)
Barry McCarthy 32 (19)
Wayne Parnell 30/5 (4)
Dwaine Pretorius 33/3 (3.5)
South Africa won by 44 runs
The South African team, who batted first in the first match, managed to collect 211 runs by losing six wickets at the end of the twenty overs. Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram scored half-centuries to booster the innings.
At the end of the twenty overs, the Irish team, who started the chase, managed to collect only 190 runs for losing nine wickets. Lorcan Tucker and George Dockrell scored quick runs but it was not enough to win the match. Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi and Wayne Parnell took two wickets each for South Africa.
Reeza Hendricks scored 74 runs and won the man of the match award. Also, Reeza Hendricks won the award as the hero of the tournament by scoring 116 runs with the bat.
1st match summary
SOUTH AFRICA INNINGS 210/6 20 Ov
Reeza Hendricks 74 (53)
Aiden Markram 56 (27)
Gareth Delaney 31/2 (3)
IRELAND INNINGS 190/9 20 Ov. (Target: 212 runs from 20 overs)
Lorcan Tucker 78 (38)
George Dockrell 43 (28)
Keshav Maharaj 29/2 (4)
Wayne Parnell 36/2 (4)
Tabraiz Shamsi 37/2 (4)
South Africa won by 20 runs
දකුණු අප්රිකාවට දෙකට බිංදුවක තරගාවලි ජයක්…
ඊයේ (5) පැවති අවසන් සහ දෙවන T20 තරගය ලකුණු 44කින් ජය ගැනීමත් සමඟ අයර්ලන්ත කණ්ඩායම පරදවා දෙකට බිංදුවක තරගාවලි ජයක් ලබා ගැනීමට දකුණු අප්රිකාව සමත් විය. ඒ සමගින් දකුණු අප්රිකාව අවසන් දින දහය තුලදී අන්තර් ජාතික T20 තරග හතරක් ජයග්රහණය කිරීමට සමත් විමද විශේෂත්වයකි.
ප්රථමයෙන් පන්දුවට පහරදුන් දකුණු අප්රිකාව නියමිත පන්දුවාර විස්ස අවසානයේදි කඩුළු හයක් දැවී ලකුණු 182ක් රැස් කිරීමට සමත් විය. ලකුණු 85කට කඩුළු හතරක් බිඳවැටී තිබුණු අවස්ථාවක නායක David Miller සහ Heinrich Klaasen ප්රමුඛ අප්රිකානු පිතිකරුවන් අවසන් පන්දුවාර හය තුළ ලකුණු 89ක් රැස් කිරීමට සමත් විය.
183ක ජයග්රාහී ඉලක්කයක් හඹා යාමට පිටියට පිවිසි අයර්ලන්ත කණ්ඩායමට පන්දුවාර 18.3කදී සියලු දෙනා දැවී රැස්කිරීමට හැකිවූයේ ලකුණු 138ක් පමණි. පන්දු යැවීමේදී විශිෂ්ට පන්දු යැවීමක නිරන වෙමින් ලකුණු 30කට කඩුළු 5ක් දවා ගත් Wayne Parnell තරගයේ වීරයා ලෙස සම්මානය දිනාගනු ලැබුවේය.
2nd match summary
SOUTH AFRICA INNINGS 182/6 20 Ov (RR: 9.10)
Reeza Hendricks 42 (40)
Heinrich Klaasen 39 (16)
David Miller 32 (20)
Gareth Delany 24/2 (4)
IRELAND INNINGS 138 18.5 Ov
(Target: 183 runs from 20 overs)
Harry Tector 34 (31)
Barry McCarthy 32 (19)
Wayne Parnell 30/5 (4)
Dwaine Pretorius 33 /3 (3.5)
South Africa won by 44 runs
ප්රථම තරගයේදි ප්රථමයෙන් පන්දුවට පහරදුන් දකුණු අප්රිකානු කණ්ඩායම නියමිත පන්දුවාර විස්ස අවසානයේදි කඩුළු හයක් දැවී ලකුණු 211රැස් කිරීමට සමත් විය. Reeza Hendricks සහ Aiden Markram අර්ධ ශතක වාර්තා කරමින් ඉණිම ශක්තිමත් කරනු ලැබුවා.
පිළිතුරු ඉණිම ආරම්භ කළ අයර්ලන්ත කණ්ඩායම පන්දුවාර විස්ස අවසානයේදි කඩුළු නවයක් දැවී රැස්කිරීමට හැකිවූයේ ලකුණු 190ක් පමණි. Lorcan Tucker සහ George Dockrell වේගවත් ලකුණු රැස්කර කළද එය තරගයේ ජයග්රහණය සඳහා ප්රමාණවත් නොවීය. Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi සහ Wayne Parnell දකුණු අප්රිකාව වෙනුවෙන් කඩුළු දෙක බැගින් බිඳ දැමීමට සමත් විය.
ලකුණු 74ක් රැස් කළ Reeza Hendricks තරගයේ වීරයා ලෙස සම්මානය දිනාගනු ලැබුවා. එමෙන්ම තරගාවලිය තුළ පිත්තෙන් ලකුණු 116ක් රැස් කරමින් තරගාවලියේ වීරයා ලෙස ද Reeza Hendricks සම්මාන දිනා ගැනීමට සමත් විය.
1st match summary
SOUTH AFRICA INNINGS 210/6 20 Ov
Reeza Hendricks 74 (53)
Aiden Markram 56 (27)
Gareth Delany 31/2 (3)
IRELAND INNINGS 190/9 20 Ov. (Target: 212 runs from 20 overs)
Lorcan Tucker 78 (38)
George Dockrell 43 (28)
Keshav Maharaj 29/2 (4)
Wayne Parnell 36/2 (4)
Tabraiz Shamsi 37/2 (4)
South Africa won by 20 runs
தென்னாப்பிரிக்கா அணி 2-0 வெற்றி…
நேற்று (5) இடம்பெற்ற கடைசி மற்றும் இரண்டாவது T20 போட்டியில் தென்னாபிரிக்கா 44 ஓட்டங்களால் அயர்லாந்து அணியை வீழ்த்தியது. அதோடு, கடந்த பத்து நாட்களில் நான்கு சர்வதேச டி20 போட்டிகளில் தென்னாப்பிரிக்கா வெற்றி பெற்றுள்ளது.
முதலில் பேட் செய்த தென்னாப்பிரிக்கா நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்ட 20 ஓவர்கள் முடிவில் 6 விக்கெட் இழப்புக்கு 182 ரன்கள் எடுத்தது. 85 ரன்களுக்கு நான்கு விக்கெட்டுகள் வீழ்ந்த நேரத்தில், கேப்டன் டேவிட் மில்லர் மற்றும் ஹென்ரிச் கிளாசன் தலைமையிலான ஆப்பிரிக்க பேட்ஸ்மேன்கள் கடைசி 6 ஓவர்களில் 89 ரன்கள் குவித்தனர்.
183 ரன்கள் எடுத்தால் வெற்றி என்ற இலக்குடன் களம் இறங்கிய அயர்லாந்து அணியால் 18.3 ஓவரில் 138 ரன்கள் மட்டுமே எடுக்க முடிந்தது. 30 ஓட்டங்களுக்கு 5 விக்கெட்டுகளை வீழ்த்தி ஆட்ட நாயகனாக விருதை வென்றார் வெய்ன் பார்னெல்.
2வது போட்டியின் சுருக்கம்
தென் ஆப்ரிக்கா இன்னிங்ஸ் 182/6 20 ஓவ் (ஆர்ஆர்: 9.10)
ரீசா ஹென்ட்ரிக்ஸ் 42 (40)
ஹென்ரிச் கிளாசென் 39 (16)
டேவிட் மில்லர் 32 (20)
கரேத் டெலானி 24/2 (4)
அயர்லாந்து இன்னிங்ஸ் 138 18.5 ஓவ்
(இலக்கு: 20 ஓவர்களில் 183 ரன்கள்)
ஹாரி டெக்டர் 34 (31)
பேரி மெக்கார்த்தி 32 (19)
வெய்ன் பார்னெல் 30/5 (4)
டுவைன் பிரிட்டோரியஸ் 33/3 (3.5)
தென் ஆப்பிரிக்கா 44 ரன்கள் வித்தியாசத்தில் வெற்றி பெற்றது
முதல் போட்டியில் முதலில் துடுப்பெடுத்தாடிய தென்னாபிரிக்க அணி நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்ட இருபது ஓவர்கள் நிறைவில் 6 விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்து 211 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்றது. ரீசா ஹென்ட்ரிக்ஸ் மற்றும் எய்டன் மார்க்ரம் ஆகியோர் அரை சதம் அடித்து இன்னிங்ஸை வலுப்படுத்தினர்.
பதிலுக்கு துடுப்பெடுத்தாடிய அயர்லாந்து அணி 20 ஓவர்கள் முடிவில் 9 விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்து 190 ஓட்டங்களை மட்டுமே எடுத்தது. லோர்கன் டக்கர் மற்றும் ஜார்ஜ் டோக்ரெல் ஆகியோர் விரைவான ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்றனர், ஆனால் அது போட்டியின் வெற்றிக்கு போதுமானதாக இல்லை. தென்னாப்பிரிக்கா தரப்பில் கேசவ் மஹராஜ், தப்ரைஸ் ஷம்சி, வெய்ன் பார்னெல் ஆகியோர் தலா 2 விக்கெட்டுகளை வீழ்த்தினர்.
ரீசா ஹென்ட்ரிக்ஸ் 74 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்று ஆட்டநாயகன் விருதை வென்றார். மேலும், ரீசா ஹென்ட்ரிக்ஸ் துடுப்பாட்டத்தில் 116 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்று போட்டியின் நாயகனாக விருதை வென்றார்.
1வது போட்டியின் சுருக்கம்
தென் ஆப்ரிக்கா இன்னிங்ஸ் 210/6 20 ஓவ்
ரீசா ஹென்ட்ரிக்ஸ் 74 (53)
ஐடன் மார்க்ரம் 56 (27)
கரேத் டெலானி 31/2 (3)
அயர்லாந்து இன்னிங்ஸ் 190/9 20 ஓவ். (இலக்கு: 20 ஓவர்களில் 212 ரன்கள்)
லோர்கன் டக்கர் 78 (38)
ஜார்ஜ் டோக்ரெல் 43 (28)
கேசவ் மகாராஜ் 29/2 (4)
வெய்ன் பார்னெல் 36/2 (4)
தப்ரைஸ் ஷம்சி 37/2 (4)
தென் ஆப்பிரிக்கா 20 ரன்கள் வித்தியாசத்தில் வெற்றி பெற்றது
Football
Sri Lanka U20 Women’s Football Hits Rock Bottom at SAFF Championship Amid Continued National-Level Crisis
The Sri Lanka U20 Women’s Team endured a disappointing campaign at the SAFF U20 Women’s Championship 2025, suffering two heavy defeats with one group match left to play. In their opening encounter, Sri Lanka was thrashed 9 -1 by Bangladesh, followed by a 5-0 loss against Bhutan, indicating a deeper crisis in the country’s women’s football structure.


These back-to-back losses highlight the grim state of the women’s football program, especially when placed alongside the senior team’s exit from the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers earlier this year without a single win. This trend reflects not just a lack of preparation, but an institutional failure to establish a developmental pipeline or strategic plan.

What’s even more concerning is the absence of visible recovery mechanisms from the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL). Instead of addressing systemic issues—such as lack of coaching standards, insufficient grassroots investment, and poor player welfare—key decision-makers appear more focused on the upcoming FFSL elections. Behind-the-scenes politics continue to stall any meaningful progress in women’s football development.

Despite the promising young talent in Sri Lanka, the gap in fitness, tactical training, and match readiness compared to regional rivals is growing wider. Without immediate technical reforms and leadership that prioritizes performance over politics, the future of women’s football in the country remains uncertain.
With one more match against a strong Nepal side, the prospects of a comeback look bleak, unless there is a radical shift in how the game is managed from the ground up.
News
South Asian Karate Championship 2025: India and Sri Lanka Shine as Karate Celebrates 50 Years in Sri Lanka
Colombo, July 5–6, 2025 – The 9th South Asian Karate Championship and the 1st South Asian Youth Karate Championship successfully concluded at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, marking a landmark moment in Sri Lanka’s martial arts history as the nation celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Karate Federation.
This prestigious two-day event was jointly organized by the South Asian Karate Federation and the Sri Lanka Karate Federation, which is registered under the Ministry of Sports as one of the seven official sports federations in the country.
Day 1 (July 5) – Youth Championship Dominated by India and Sri Lanka
The opening day featured intense youth-level competition with over 700 athletes from seven South Asian nations – Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives – competing in age categories below 14.
🥇 Youth Medal Standings (U-14 Category):
- India – 22 Medals (1st Place)
- Nepal – 20 Medals (2nd Place)
- Sri Lanka – 10 Medals (3rd Place)
📺 Watch Day 1 Highlights:
Final Day (July 6) – Sri Lanka Takes Youth Title, India Clinches Senior Crown
The second day of the tournament featured both senior and youth finals. In a historic achievement, Sri Lanka emerged champions in the Youth Division, while India secured the Senior Team Championship, continuing their regional dominance.
Final Team Standings:
- Senior Category:
- 🥇 India (Champions)
- 🥈 Nepal (Runners-up)
- 🥉 Sri Lanka (Third Place)
- Youth Category:
- 🥇 Sri Lanka (Champions)
- 🥈 India (Runners-up)
- 🥉 Nepal (Third Place)
Watch Final Day Highlights:
Special Guests & Recognition
The event was graced by His Excellency Akio Isomata, the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, who attended as the Chief Guest, acknowledging Sri Lanka’s long-standing contribution to the growth of karate in South Asia.
Also present was Bharat Sharma, President of the South Asian Karate Federation, who praised the standard of competition and Sri Lanka’s organizing excellence.
Karate in Sri Lanka – 50 Years of Legacy
This championship coincided with the 50th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Karate Federation, which has played a vital role in shaping karate talent nationally and internationally. With continued support from the Ministry of Sports, karate remains one of Sri Lanka’s fastest-growing combat sports.
Football
Sri Lanka Women Finish Qualifiers with 0 Goals, 20 Conceded – Who Will Take Responsibility?
Colombo, July 3 – Sri Lanka Women’s National Football Team wrapped up their AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers campaign with a third straight defeat — a 2-0 loss to Laos — confirming their position at the bottom of Group F, with 0 wins, 0 goals scored, and 18 conceded in just three games.
But beyond the scorelines lies a far more serious issue: a complete collapse of women’s football development in Sri Lanka. And this time, the blame does not lie on one individual — but on a system that has failed the sport, from top to bottom.

Match-by-Match Recap
Match 1: Sri Lanka 0 – 10 Uzbekistan
- Possession: 30%
- Shots on Target: 0
- xG: 0.0 vs Uzbekistan’s 3.60
- A game that exposed a lack of preparation, structure, and fitness from the very start.
Match 2: Sri Lanka 0 – 8 Nepal
- Possession: 50%
- Defensive errors gifted goals, including a hat-trick by Sabitra Bhandari.
- xG: Nepal 3.76 vs Sri Lanka 0.60
- Tactical breakdown: Midfield collapsed under pressure, backline failed to close space.
Match 3: Sri Lanka 0 – 2 Laos
- Possession: 50%
- Shots on Target: 5
- xG: 2.56 (Laos) vs 1.08 (Sri Lanka)
- A more balanced performance, but defensive lapses in the 73rd and 90+2 minutes led to defeat. Sri Lanka couldn’t convert chances despite their best game statistically.
Final Group Standings – Group F
Team | MP | GF | GA | GD | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
🇳🇵 Nepal | 2 | 17 | 0 | +17 | 6 |
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 2 | 17 | 0 | +17 | 6 |
🇱🇦 Laos | 2 | 2 | 16 | -14 | 0 |
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 20 | -20 | 0 |
Tactical Issues Across All Matches
- No clear formation or transition play.
- Lack of defensive coordination — players failed to track runners, especially on the flanks.
- No attacking identity — only 1.08 xG across three games.
- In-game management absent — few substitutions or tactical shifts despite being outplayed.
While public criticism often targets the President of the Football Federation, this decline in women’s football runs deeper:
Who Is Accountable? Not Just the President
Women’s Football Committee:
- Failed to organize any domestic tournament in recent years.
- Selected the squad via open trials, with no league performance data to back selections.
- No consistent training camps or fitness programs.
Executive Committee:
- Remains silent on the recurring failures.
- No inquiries, reviews, or structural reforms have followed Sri Lanka’s repeated humiliations — including the U20 Women’s SAFF defeat earlier this year.
Technical & Development Staff:
- No tactical framework or youth development.
- No modern coaching methods or international exposure for players.
The Bigger Problem: Silence and Stagnation
Sri Lanka is not just losing matches — it’s losing direction. The current state of women’s football is not the result of one bad campaign. It’s the product of years of neglect, political appointments, and a failure to treat women’s football with equal priority.
Even now, there is no explanation from the Executive Committee on how the women’s team was prepared or what plans exist for recovery.
Time for a Reset, Not Excuses
If Sri Lanka is serious about competing in international football, the following must be addressed:
- ✅ A national women’s league
- ✅ Provincial and school-level competitions
- ✅ Professional coaching staff and structured fitness programs
- ✅ Regular international friendlies and camps
- ✅ Transparent selection processes based on performance, not politics
🔚 Conclusion
Sri Lanka’s 2026 AFC campaign should not just be remembered for the scorelines — but as a call for change. It is time for every stakeholder — from the Women’s Committee to the Executive — to reflect, respond, and rebuild.
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