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.

Cricket

Bhanuka Rajapaksa sends legal notice to actress Harshi Rasanga over gold chain dispute

Published

1 hour ago

April 1, 2026

Editor

Sri Lanka cricketer Bhanuka Rajapaksa has issued a Letter of Demand (LOD) to actress Harshi Rasanga, accusing her of making false and misleading statements on social media following recent court proceedings.

According to Rajapaksa’s legal representatives, the actress had informed court that the gold chain at the center of the dispute had been pawned. However, they claim she later contradicted this statement publicly, prompting the cricketer to initiate legal action.

The controversy revolves around a gold chain valued at over Rs. 900,000. Rajapaksa alleges that the chain had been borrowed by Rasanga and pawned without his knowledge or consent.
Rasanga was arrested by the Sri Lanka Police’s Thalangama division and later produced before the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court, where she was granted bail on two sureties of Rs. 500,000 each.

During the court hearing, the defence stated that the chain had indeed been pawned and indicated that steps could be taken to redeem and return it. However, speaking to the media afterward, Rasanga claimed that the chain had been given to her as a gift during a personal relationship.

The court has directed Thalangama Police to take custody of the gold chain and present it at the next hearing, which is scheduled for April 22.

Cricket

Pathum Nissanka set to open alongside KL Rahul for Delhi Capitals opener

Published

14 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Editor

Delhi Capitals are set to kick off their IPL 2026 campaign with a fresh opening combination, as Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka is likely to partner India star KL Rahul at the top of the order.

The Capitals face Lucknow Super Giants in their opening match today at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow, and all eyes will be on how the new-look batting lineup shapes up. While Rahul’s role as opener is confirmed, the team management has been weighing their options for the second slot, with Prithvi Shaw and Abhishek Porel also in contention.

However, indications suggest that Nissanka has edged ahead in the race, with the franchise keen to utilize his consistency and ability to anchor innings in the powerplay. His calm approach at the crease could complement Rahul’s experience, giving Delhi a balanced start at the top.

The Capitals have also bolstered their middle order with the inclusion of David Miller, who adds firepower alongside fellow South African Tristan Stubbs. The duo is expected to provide the late-innings acceleration that Delhi often lacked in previous seasons.

Despite missing Australian pacer Mitchell Starc for the opening fixture due to injury, Delhi still boast a formidable bowling attack. Captain Axar Patel will lead from the front with his all-round abilities, while the spin department is strengthened by the ever-reliable Kuldeep Yadav.
In the pace department, South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi brings experience and variation, having impressed with his clever change of pace in recent T20 competitions. Meanwhile, left-arm seamer T Natarajan returns fully fit after a lengthy injury layoff, adding further depth to the attack.

Cricket

Avishka Gunawardena steps down from Sri Lanka Cricket role after reassignment

Published

14 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Editor

Former Sri Lanka international Avishka Gunawardena has resigned from his position at Sri Lanka Cricket’s High Performance Centre, bringing an abrupt end to his latest stint within the national setup.

The decision comes shortly after a reshuffle in coaching responsibilities, which saw Gunawardena moved from his role as head coach of the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team to take charge of the Under-19 squad. While the transition was part of an internal restructuring, it is understood that the change played a key role in his decision to step away.

Gunawardena had been overseeing the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team in recent tours and development programs, earning praise for his work with emerging players. Several young cricketers are believed to have benefited from his guidance, progressing steadily through the ranks during his tenure.

Despite his contributions at the ‘A’ team level, the shift to the youth setup appears to have prompted his resignation from the High Performance Centre altogether. The move leaves a gap in Sri Lanka’s player development structure at a crucial time.
As of now, Sri Lanka Cricket has not issued an official statement regarding Gunawardena’s departure, nor have they named a successor to fill the vacancy.