News

Overseas Football Players who are eligible to Represent Sri Lanka

Published

6 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

LPL 2026 Player Draft Set for June 1 in Colombo

Published

12 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Editor

The much-anticipated Player Draft for the sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026 is scheduled to take place on June 1 in Colombo, marking a significant milestone ahead of Sri Lanka’s premier domestic T20 tournament.

A total of 421 cricketers including 179 Sri Lankan players and 242 overseas players will be available for selection during the draft process. The local player pool will consist of national representatives, domestic performers, and emerging talents, offering franchises a wide range of options as they finalize their squads for the upcoming season.

The draft will be conducted across several player categories, namely Platinum, Gold, Classic, Emerging, and Associate Stars.

Among the Sri Lankan contingent, 17 players have been listed in the Platinum category, while 34 players fall under Gold, 80 under Classic, and 48 under Emerging.

The overseas player lineup includes 31 Platinum players, 64 Gold players, 99 Classic players, and 48 players in the Associate Stars category.

The official draft proceedings will commence at 1.30 p.m. and are expected to draw the participation of all franchise owners and team management representatives.

Hon. Sunil Kumara Gamage, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, will attend the event as the Chief Guest.

Several key cricket administrators and officials are also expected to be present, including Mr. Eran Wickramaratne, Chairman of the Cricket Transformation Committee (CTC), members of the Transformation Committee, Mr. Ashley De Silva, Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Cricket, and Mr. Samantha Dodanwela, Tournament Director of the Lanka Premier League.

The LPL has continued to grow in stature since its inception, providing a competitive platform for local talent while attracting international stars to Sri Lanka’s premier T20 competition.

Athletics

Tarushi Abisheka Wins Gold for Sri Lanka at Asian Under-20 Championships

Published

13 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Editor

Sri Lanka’s rising middle-distance runner Tarushi Abisheka delivered an outstanding performance to claim the gold medal in the girls’ 1500 metres event at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong on Thursday.

Abisheka crossed the finish line in 4 minutes and 31.41 seconds, securing first place ahead of Iran’s Maryam Baluoutaki, who finished second, while South Korea’s Song Dawson claimed the bronze medal.

The young Sri Lankan athlete is also competing in the 800m event at the continental championship, continuing to showcase her talent on the international stage.

The Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships has attracted competitors from 40 countries, with athletes taking part in 46 events during the tournament.

Sri Lanka has fielded a 22-member team for the competition, consisting of 15 male athletes and seven female athletes.

News

India snap Sri Lanka winning streak

Published

1 day ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

Sri Lanka’s impressive winning streak at the FIBA U-18 Asia Cup SABA Qualifiers came to an end yesterday as they suffered a hard-fought 72-77 defeat against a strong Indian side at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

Coming into the match with two consecutive victories, the hosts displayed tremendous spirit and determination throughout the contest. Sri Lanka made an energetic start and matched the taller and more experienced Indian outfit in every department during the opening stages of the game.

The home team enjoyed an excellent first half and went into the breather with a narrow 43-40 lead after producing some attractive attacking basketball. Sri Lanka’s quick passing, aggressive drives to the basket and accurate shooting kept the Indian defence under constant pressure. The local cagers also showed great discipline in defence, forcing several turnovers and capitalising on fast-break opportunities.

However, India bounced back strongly after halftime with improved defensive work and better control in the final two quarters. Their experience and physical advantage gradually helped them regain momentum as they edged ahead during the decisive stages of the encounter.

Despite trailing in the closing minutes, Sri Lanka continued to fight bravely and reduced the margin with some spirited play. The hosts received strong support from the spectators who gathered at the stadium to cheer the young team.

India eventually held their nerve to secure a five-point victory and remain one of the strongest contenders in the tournament. Although Sri Lanka ended on the losing side, the performance of the young players earned praise for their fighting spirit and determination against a formidable opponent.