News

Overseas Football Players who are eligible to Represent Sri Lanka

Published

5 years ago

November 26, 2020

Editor

There are currently numerous players with strong Sri Lankan roots who play football in Overseas Leagues. Football Sri Lanka has kept a close eye on all these players, tracking their progress and skill levels to see which players can bring a positive impact to the Sri Lankan National Team

The following five players have already applied for dual citizenship and started the necessary processes of making it into the National squad, while the rest are yet to start any such procedures;

Players who are already applied for the Dual Citizenship to represent the National Team

Hamilton O Mervyn

Age : 32 yrs. (DOB: 8 Oct 1988)

Height : 6’

Citizenship : British

Position : Midfield

Current club : Whitehawk FC

League : Whitehawk FC is a Semi Professional, non-league English football club based in Whitehawk, a suburb of the city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. Whitehawk FC play in the Isthmian South East Division (English non-league step 4 – Level 8)

Category : Sri Lankan Mother

2. Reef Sebastian Peries

Age : 19 yrs (DOB: 30 Oct. 2001)

Height : 5’ 11”

Citizenship : British

Position : Right Wing Back

Current club : Woking FC (Academy Team)

League : Woking Football Club is a semi-professional association football club, based in Woking, Surrey, England. Founded in 1889, the club plays its home matches at Kingfield Stadium and is nicknamed the Cardinals. Currently, they compete in the National League, the fifth tier of English football.

Category : Sri Lankan Grandparent

3. Ryan Anthony Peries

Age :18 yrs (DOB: 20 Jul 2002)

Height : 6’ 2”

Citizenship : British

Position : Midfield

Current club : Bournemouth University FC

Category : Sri Lankan Grandparent

4. Haneef Mohamed Haseef Mohamed

Age : 27 yrs (DOB: 23 Aug 1993)

Height : 5’ 6”

Citizenship : Switzerland

Position : Left / Right Winger, Attacking Midfielder

Current club : FC Engstringen

League : FC Engstringen plays in the Football Association of the Zurich Region FVRZ 3rd League of Swiss Football Association.

Category : Sri Lankan Father & Mother

5. Vigneswaran Dagsan

Age : 16 yrs (DOB: 02 May 2004)

Height : 6’

Citizenship : Switzerland

Position : Center Back / Midfielder

Current club : Lausanne Sport

League : FC Engstringen plays in the Football Association of the Zurich Region FVRZ 3rd League of Swiss Football Association.

Category : Sri Lankan Father & Mother

Players who are eligible to apply for the Dual Citizenship to represent the National Team

Claudio Matthias

Age : 21 yrs (DOB: 7 July 1999)

Height : 6’ 1”

Citizenship : Deutsch (German)

Position : Center Back, Left Back, Right Back

Current club : SC Freiburg

League : Sport-Club Freiburg e.V., commonly known as SC Freiburg, is a German football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. It plays in the Bundesliga. SC Freiburg II is the reserve team of German association football club SC Freiburg plays in the Regionalliga Südwest (English: Regional League Southwest) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regionalliga Bayern, Regionalliga Nordost, Regionalliga Nord, and the Regionalliga West.

Category : Sri Lankan Mother

2. Canistan Regize

Age : 23 yrs (DOB: 25 Mar 1997)

Height : 5’ 7”

Citizenship : French

Position : Midfielder

Current club : FC Montceau, Boergogne

League : Football Club Montceau Bourgogne is a French association football team founded in 1948. They are based in Montceau-les-Mines, Bourgogne, France and are currently playing in the Championnat National 3. The league serves as the fifth division of the French Football League.

Category : Sri Lankan Father & Mother

3. Kelly Garrett Christopher

Age : 24 yrs (DOB: 13 Apr 1996)

Height : 6’ 1”

Citizenship : British

Position : Central Midfield

Current club : Almyros Gaziou FC (Greece)

League : Almyros Gaziou FC plays in the Gamma Ethniki the fourth highest football league in Greece.

Category : Sri Lankan Mother

4. Manimeldura Leon Perera

Age : 23 yrs (DOB: 1 Jan 1997)

Height : 5’ 8”

Citizenship : Deutsch (German)

Position : Central Midfield

Current club : MTV Treubund Lüneburg

League : MTV Treubund Lüneburg competes in the Landesliga Lüneburg, called the Bezirksoberliga Lüneburg from 1979 to 1994 and 2006 to 2010, is the sixth tier of the German football league system and the second-highest league in the German state of Lower Saxony.

Category : Sri Lankan Father

5. Tiffan Anthonypillai

Age : 18 yrs. (DOB: 21 Sep 2002)

Height : 5’ 7”

Citizenship : Canadian

Position : Right Back

Current club : Cs Saint-Laurent, Montréal,Canada

Category : Sri Lankan Mother

6. Chikereuba Tochokwu Francis

Age : 27 yrs (DOB: 24 Apr 1993)

Height : 6’ 3”

Citizenship : Nigerian

Position : Central Defender

Current club : Java Lane SC, Colombo

League : Champions League – Sri Lanka

Category : Sri Lankan Spouse & Children

7. Poopathithasan Nilooshan

Age : 19 yrs (DOB: 19 Jul 2001)

Height : TBC

Citizenship : Deutsch (German)

Position : TBC

Current club : TBC

Category : Sri Lankan Mother

Furthermore, Waseem Razeek and his brother Muzakir Razeek already eligible to represent the country.

News

Run for Hope Charity Run Set to Inspire Kandy

Published

20 hours ago

March 15, 2026

Editor

Kandy will host a unique charity event later this month as Run for Hope brings runners, families, and supporters together for a meaningful cause. The event, scheduled for March 29, aims to raise awareness and support for the development of Sri Lanka’s first residential training and empowerment center for single mothers and their children.

Organizers say the initiative is designed to provide a safe and supportive environment where single mothers can rebuild their lives while caring for their children. The proposed center will offer vocational training, skill development, and opportunities for financial independence, while also ensuring a secure space for children to grow and learn.

Across Sri Lanka, many single mothers face the challenge of raising families with limited resources and support. Run for Hope seeks to change that narrative by encouraging the community to participate in an event that promotes both fitness and social responsibility.

Participants will be able to compete in 2KM, 5KM, and 10KM races, making the event accessible for runners of different ages and fitness levels. The organizers note that every participant contributes directly to the effort of building a better future for families in need.

The event will also mark the first-ever Run for Hope to be held in Kandy, bringing together members of the community to run for a shared purpose.

Registration for the event is open through the PickMe app under the Events section or via the official online registration link. The registration fee is Rs. 2,500 for adults and Rs. 1,500 for children under the age of 12.

Competitors in the 5KM and 10KM categories will compete for prize money, with Rs. 25,000 awarded to the winners, Rs. 15,000 for second place, and Rs. 10,000 for third place in both the male and female categories. Participants will also receive gift packs sponsored by Nestomalt and LaPerfumerie.lk, while every registered runner will be given an official Run for Hope T-shirt, cap, and finisher medal.

Organizers emphasize that the event is about more than a race. Every runner who crosses the finish line becomes part of a larger mission—helping build a future of hope, dignity, and opportunity for single mothers and their children in Sri Lanka.

Cricket

Amaraweera’s Century Headlines Drawn 147th Battle of the Blues

Published

20 hours ago

March 15, 2026

Editor

The 147th edition of the historic Battle of the Blues between Royal College Colombo and S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia ended in a draw at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, but it was Thomian skipper Jaden Amaraweera who stole the spotlight with a commanding second-innings century.

After winning the toss, S. Thomas’ compiled a solid 302 in their first innings, built around several steady contributions from the top and middle order. Amaraweera struck a patient 52 while Avinash Fernando added 50 and Reshon Solomons top-scored with 66. Dulith Indira Gunaratne chipped in with a valuable 44 to push the Thomians past the 300 mark. Royal’s bowlers fought back well, with Sehadu Sooryaarachchi and Gegan Gamage sharing six wickets between them.

Royal responded with 261 for 9 in 86 overs. Ramiru Perera led the charge with a well-compiled 82, while Rehan Peirissupported with an attractive 63. Dushan Uduwala contributed 33 in a steady middle-order effort. For S. Thomas’, Gimhan Mendis impressed with four wickets, while Abheeth Paranawidana claimed two.

The final day, however, belonged to Amaraweera. The Thomian captain produced a composed 100 off 160 deliveries, striking eight boundaries in a technically sound innings that anchored his side’s second innings. He shared useful partnerships with Fernando (20) and Gunaratne (21) as S. Thomas’ reached 176 for 6 before the match was called off, bringing another chapter of the famous encounter to a stalemate.

Cricket

Controversy Erupts as Trinity Awarded Victory in Dramatic 107th Battle of the Blues

Published

21 hours ago

March 15, 2026

Editor

Trinity College, Kandy were awarded a dramatic outright victory over St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota in the 107th Hill Country ‘Battle of the Blues’ after controversial scenes brought the traditional encounter to an abrupt end at the Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium.

Chasing a modest target of 64 for victory, Trinity had reached 63 for 1 when crowds suddenly surged onto the field, causing confusion among players, officials and spectators. Both teams were escorted off the ground while order was restored. However, the match took a controversial turn when St. Anthony’s reportedly refused to return to the field to resume play with Trinity needing just one run for victory. As a result, the umpires ruled that St. Anthony’s had forfeited the match and awarded the win to Trinity.

Earlier, Trinity dominated much of the contest. After being sent in to bat, St. Anthony’s were bowled out for 157 despite an unbeaten 64 from Sisal Hemaka. Kanilka Anthony starred with 4 for 54.

Trinity replied with 264, powered by a superb 125 from Sri Lanka youth representative Adham Hilmy and 54 from skipper Dimantha Mahavithana, securing a 107-run lead.
The Anthonians fought back in their second innings, reaching 170 with Kaushika Kumarasinghe scoring 59. Yet Kanilka Anthony’s outstanding 6 for 56 and a match haul of 10 wickets put Trinity on course for victory.

The dramatic finish ensured Trinity recorded their first outright win in the series since 2012, though the result will likely be remembered for the controversial conclusion rather than the cricket itself.