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New AFC Stadium in collaboration with FIFA
New AFC Stadium in collaboration with FIFA to build on Asian football’s strong momentum The future of Asian football is set to usher in greater success and progress as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed the collaborative project of a new AFC Stadium in a ground-breaking ceremony held in Putrajaya, Malaysia on Monday.
Situated approximately 30km from the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the AFC Stadium in Putrajaya, which is the federal administrative capital of Malaysia, will be constructed on a land site spanning 15.43 acres, fully equipped with a grandstand, spectators’ boulevard and atrium, administrative offices, and underground carpark.
The new state-of-the-art football-specific stadium will be financed through funding from the FIFA Forward programme and will further strengthen the AFC’s ambitions, through its Vision and Mission, to support its Member Associations (MAs) and Regional Associations (RAs) with greater efficiency. The Football Association of Malaysia and the Malaysian Government will provide logistical support to the project.
Underlining the significant step forward for the AFC and its MAs and RAs, the AFC President said: “The AFC’s Vision and Mission has underlined our ambitions to ensure we maximise the potential of our MAs and RAs.
“The AFC House has been the focal point of football development through numerous courses, workshops and seminars in the areas of Technical and Refereeing and now with this new AFC Stadium, we have the potential to do so much more,” added Shaikh Salman.
“On behalf of the Asian football family, I must convey our gratitude to FIFA for their willingness to chart a new era of progress with the AFC as well as the Malaysian Government for their dedication towards the development of Asian football, not only through this project but for its steadfast support over the decades.
“I am confident that the new AFC Stadium will pave the way for our MAs and RAs to scale even greater heights in the next decade.”
Echoing the AFC President’s sentiments, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was in the Malaysian capital to attend the 11th AFC Executive Committee meeting, said: “I think it is an important investment for Asian football, and I want to congratulate and commend the AFC President and the Executive Committee members.”
“It is a great project, and I am really proud and happy that we are teaming up through this AFC and FIFA stadium which can mark a new step in the whole very important part of the Asian region.”
The stadium floor area is approximately 580,000 sqft with a seating capacity of 10,000 and will feature the highest quality FIFA-graded football pitch.
Amongst others, some of the key features also include a cafeteria, a leading-edge media tribune and a media commentators’ room as well as a vibrant water feature to be constructed at the entrance of the stadium.
FIFA සමඟ එක්ව නව AFC ක්රීඩාංගනය
FIFA සමඟ එක්ව නව AFC ක්රීඩාංගණය ආසියානු පාපන්දු ක්රීඩාවේ ප්රබල ජවයක් ගොඩනැංවීම සඳහා ආසියානු පාපන්දු ක්රීඩාවේ අනාගතය වඩාත් සාර්ථක සහ ප්රගතියක් කරා ගෙන යනු ඇතැයි ආසියානු පාපන්දු සම්මේලනයේ (AFC) සභාපති ෂෙයික් සල්මාන් බින් එබ්රහිම් අල් කලීෆා සහ FIFA සභාපති ගියානි ඉන්ෆැන්ටිනෝ තහවුරු කළහ. සඳුදා මැලේසියාවේ පුත්රජයා හි පැවති මුල්ගල තැබීමේ උත්සවයකදී නව AFC ක්රීඩාංගනයේ සහයෝගීතා ව්යාපෘතිය.
මැලේසියාවේ ක්වාලාලම්පූර් හි AFC හවුස් සිට ආසන්න වශයෙන් 30km පමණ දුරින් පිහිටා ඇති, මැලේසියාවේ ෆෙඩරල් පරිපාලන අගනුවර වන පුත්රජයා හි AFC ක්රීඩාංගනය අක්කර 15.43 ක භූමි භාගයක ඉදිකරනු ලබන අතර, අංගසම්පූර්ණ ප්රේක්ෂකාගාරයක්, ප්රේක්ෂකාගාරයක් සහ ඇට්රියම් වලින් සමන්විත වේ. , පරිපාලන කාර්යාල, සහ භූගත රථගාල.
නව නවීන පාපන්දු-විශේෂිත ක්රීඩාංගනය FIFA Forward වැඩසටහනෙන් අරමුදල් සපයනු ලබන අතර AFC හි දැක්ම සහ මෙහෙවර හරහා එහි සාමාජික සංගම් (MAs) සහ කලාපීය සංගම් (RAs) සඳහා සහාය වීම සඳහා AFC හි අභිලාෂයන් තවදුරටත් ශක්තිමත් කරනු ඇත. ) වැඩි කාර්යක්ෂමතාවයකින්. මැලේසියාවේ පාපන්දු සංගමය සහ මැලේසියානු රජය මෙම ව්යාපෘතිය සඳහා සැපයුම් සහාය ලබා දෙනු ඇත.
AFC සහ එහි MAs සහ RAs සඳහා සැලකිය යුතු ඉදිරි පියවරක් අවධාරණය කරමින් AFC සභාපතිවරයා මෙසේ පැවසීය: “AFC හි දැක්ම සහ මෙහෙවර අපගේ MAs සහ RAs හි හැකියාවන් උපරිම කිරීම සහතික කිරීම සඳහා අපගේ අභිලාෂයන් අවධාරණය කර ඇත.
AFC හවුස් පාපන්දු සංවර්ධනයේ කේන්ද්රස්ථානය වී ඇත්තේ තාක්ෂණික සහ විනිසුරුවන් යන ක්ෂේත්ර ගණනාවක පාඨමාලා, වැඩමුළු සහ සම්මන්ත්රණ හරහා වන අතර දැන් මෙම නව AFC ක්රීඩාංගනය සමඟින් අපට තවත් බොහෝ දේ කිරීමට හැකියාව ඇත,” ෂෙයික් සල්මාන් වැඩිදුරටත් පැවසීය.
“මෙම ව්යාපෘතිය හරහා පමණක් නොව, ආසියානු පාපන්දු ක්රීඩාවේ දියුණුව සඳහා ඔවුන් දක්වන කැපවීම වෙනුවෙන් AFC මෙන්ම මැලේසියානු රජය සමඟ ප්රගතියේ නව යුගයක් සටහන් කිරීමට ඔවුන් දක්වන කැමැත්ත පිළිබඳව ආසියානු පාපන්දු පවුල වෙනුවෙන් මම FIFA වෙත අපගේ කෘතඥතාව පළ කළ යුතුයි. නමුත් දශක ගණනාවක් පුරා එහි ස්ථිර සහයෝගය සඳහා.
“නව AFC ක්රීඩාංගනය ඉදිරි දශකය තුළ අපගේ MAs සහ RAs සඳහා තවත් විශාල උසකට යාමට මග පාදනු ඇතැයි මට විශ්වාසයි.”
AFC සභාපතිවරයාගේ හැඟීම් ප්රතිරාවය කරමින්, 11 වන AFC විධායක කමිටු රැස්වීමට සහභාගී වීමට මැලේසියානු අගනුවරට පැමිණ සිටි FIFA සභාපති Gianni Infantino මෙසේ පැවසීය: “එය ආසියානු පාපන්දු ක්රීඩාවට වැදගත් ආයෝජනයක් යැයි මම සිතමි, මට AFC සභාපතිට සුබ පතන්න සහ ප්රශංසා කිරීමට අවශ්යයි. සහ විධායක කමිටු සාමාජිකයන්.”
“එය විශිෂ්ට ව්යාපෘතියක් වන අතර, ආසියානු කලාපයේ සමස්ත ඉතා වැදගත් කොටසෙහි නව පියවරක් සනිටුහන් කළ හැකි මෙම AFC සහ FIFA ක්රීඩාංගනය හරහා අප අත්වැල් බැඳ ගැනීම ගැන මම ඇත්තෙන්ම ආඩම්බර වෙනවා සහ සතුටු වෙනවා.”
ක්රීඩාංගනයේ බිම් ප්රමාණය වර්ග අඩි 580,000 ක් පමණ වන අතර ආසන 10,000 ක ආසන ධාරිතාවක් ඇති අතර ඉහළම තත්ත්වයේ FIFA ශ්රේණිගත පාපන්දු පිටියකින් සමන්විත වේ.
අනෙක් ඒවා අතර, සමහර ප්රධාන අංගයන් අතර ආපනශාලාවක්, ප්රමුඛ පෙළේ මාධ්ය විනිශ්චය සභාවක් සහ මාධ්ය විචාරකයින්ගේ කාමරයක් මෙන්ම ක්රීඩාංගනයේ දොරටුවේ ඉදිකරන ලද විචිත්රවත් ජල අංගයක් ද ඇතුළත් වේ.
FIFA உடன் இணைந்து புதிய AFC ஸ்டேடியம்
ஆசிய கால்பந்தின் வலுவான வேகத்தை கட்டியெழுப்ப ஃபிஃபாவுடன் இணைந்து புதிய AFC ஸ்டேடியம் ஆசிய கால்பந்தின் எதிர்காலம் அதிக வெற்றியையும் முன்னேற்றத்தையும் கொண்டு வர உள்ளது என ஆசிய கால்பந்து கூட்டமைப்பு (AFC) தலைவர் ஷேக் சல்மான் பின் இப்ராஹிம் அல் கலீஃபா மற்றும் FIFA தலைவர் கியானி இன்பான்டினோ உறுதிப்படுத்தினர். மலேசியாவின் புத்ராஜெயாவில் திங்கள்கிழமை நடைபெற்ற அடிக்கல் நாட்டு விழாவில் புதிய AFC ஸ்டேடியத்தின் கூட்டுத் திட்டம்.
மலேசியாவின் கோலாலம்பூரில் உள்ள AFC ஹவுஸிலிருந்து சுமார் 30km தொலைவில் அமைந்துள்ள, மலேசியாவின் கூட்டாட்சி நிர்வாகத் தலைநகரான புத்ராஜெயாவில் உள்ள AFC ஸ்டேடியம், 15.43 ஏக்கர் நிலப்பரப்பில், பிரமாண்டமான, பார்வையாளர்களுக்கான பவுல்வர்டு மற்றும் ஏட்ரியத்துடன் முழுமையாகக் கட்டமைக்கப்படும். , நிர்வாக அலுவலகங்கள் மற்றும் நிலத்தடி கார் பார்க்கிங்.
புதிய அதிநவீன கால்பந்து-குறிப்பிட்ட ஸ்டேடியம் FIFA ஃபார்வர்ட் திட்டத்தின் நிதியுதவி மூலம் நிதியளிக்கப்படும் மற்றும் அதன் உறுப்பினர் சங்கங்கள் (MAs) மற்றும் பிராந்திய சங்கங்கள் (RAs) ஆகியவற்றை ஆதரிக்க அதன் பார்வை மற்றும் பணி மூலம் AFCயின் லட்சியங்களை மேலும் வலுப்படுத்தும். ) அதிக செயல்திறனுடன். மலேசிய கால்பந்து சங்கம் மற்றும் மலேசிய அரசு இந்த திட்டத்திற்கு தளவாட ஆதரவை வழங்கும்.
AFC மற்றும் அதன் MA க்கள் மற்றும் RA களுக்கான குறிப்பிடத்தக்க முன்னேற்றத்தை அடிக்கோடிட்டுக் காட்டி, AFC தலைவர் கூறினார்: “AFC இன் பார்வை மற்றும் பணி எங்கள் MAக்கள் மற்றும் RA களின் திறனை அதிகரிப்பதை உறுதி செய்வதற்கான எங்கள் லட்சியங்களை அடிக்கோடிட்டுக் காட்டுகிறது.
“தொழில்நுட்பம் மற்றும் நடுவர் துறைகளில் ஏராளமான படிப்புகள், பட்டறைகள் மற்றும் கருத்தரங்குகள் மூலம் AFC ஹவுஸ் கால்பந்து மேம்பாட்டின் மையப் புள்ளியாக இருந்து வருகிறது, இப்போது இந்த புதிய AFC ஸ்டேடியத்துடன், நாங்கள் இன்னும் பலவற்றைச் செய்ய முடியும்” என்று ஷேக் சல்மான் கூறினார்.
ஆசிய கால்பந்து குடும்பத்தின் சார்பாக, இந்த திட்டத்தின் மூலம் மட்டுமல்லாமல், ஆசிய கால்பந்தின் வளர்ச்சிக்கான அர்ப்பணிப்பிற்காக AFC மற்றும் மலேசிய அரசாங்கத்துடன் முன்னேற்றத்தின் புதிய சகாப்தத்தை பட்டியலிட FIFA விருப்பம் தெரிவித்ததற்காக நான் எங்கள் நன்றியைத் தெரிவிக்க வேண்டும். ஆனால் பல தசாப்தங்களாக அதன் உறுதியான ஆதரவிற்காக.
“புதிய AFC ஸ்டேடியம் அடுத்த தசாப்தத்தில் எங்கள் எம்ஏக்கள் மற்றும் ஆர்ஏக்கள் இன்னும் பெரிய உயரங்களை எட்டுவதற்கு வழி வகுக்கும் என்று நான் நம்புகிறேன்.”
AFC தலைவரின் உணர்வுகளை எதிரொலிக்கும் வகையில், 11வது AFC செயற்குழு கூட்டத்தில் கலந்து கொள்வதற்காக மலேசிய தலைநகருக்கு வந்திருந்த FIFA தலைவர் Gianni Infantino கூறினார்: “இது ஆசிய கால்பந்திற்கு ஒரு முக்கியமான முதலீடாக நான் நினைக்கிறேன், மேலும் AFC தலைவரை வாழ்த்திப் பாராட்ட விரும்புகிறேன். மற்றும் செயற்குழு உறுப்பினர்கள்.”
“இது ஒரு சிறந்த திட்டமாகும், மேலும் இந்த AFC மற்றும் FIFA ஸ்டேடியத்தின் மூலம் நாங்கள் ஒன்றிணைவதில் நான் மிகவும் பெருமையும் மகிழ்ச்சியும் அடைகிறேன், இது ஆசிய பிராந்தியத்தின் முழு மிக முக்கியமான பகுதியிலும் ஒரு புதிய படியைக் குறிக்கும்.”
ஸ்டேடியத்தின் தளம் தோராயமாக 580,000 சதுர அடி மற்றும் 10,000 இருக்கை திறன் கொண்டது மற்றும் மிக உயர்ந்த தரமான FIFA தரப்படுத்தப்பட்ட கால்பந்து ஆடுகளத்தைக் கொண்டிருக்கும்.
மற்றவற்றுடன், சில முக்கிய அம்சங்களில் சிற்றுண்டிச்சாலை, ஒரு முன்னணி ஊடக ட்ரிப்யூன் மற்றும் ஊடக வர்ணனையாளர்களின் அறை மற்றும் ஸ்டேடியத்தின் நுழைவாயிலில் கட்டப்படும் துடிப்பான நீர் வசதி ஆகியவை அடங்கும்.
Cricket
Wanindu Hasaranga Ruled Out of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Due to Hamstring Injury
Sri Lanka’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign has suffered a massive setback, with star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to a hamstring injury.
Medical scans conducted after Sri Lanka’s opening match against Ireland confirmed that the leg-spinning all-rounder will require several weeks of rehabilitation, effectively ending his participation in the global showpiece event.
Hasaranga, a central figure in Sri Lanka’s T20 plans over the past few years, sustained the injury during the early stages of the tournament. His absence leaves a significant void in both the bowling and lower-middle-order batting departments.
Widely regarded as one of the most dangerous T20 bowlers in world cricket, Hasaranga’s impact in ICC tournaments has been remarkable. With 40 wickets, he currently stands as the second-highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history — a statistic that underlines the scale of the blow to the co-hosts.
Beyond the numbers, Hasaranga’s ability to break partnerships in crucial moments and provide quick runs under pressure has made him indispensable to Sri Lanka’s balance in white-ball cricket.
Attention now turns to potential replacements. Leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha is expected to be named as Hasaranga’s replacement, pending official approval from Sri Lanka Cricket and the ICC Event Technical Committee. While Hemantha offers promise and attacking intent, stepping into the shoes of Sri Lanka’s premier match-winner will be a formidable challenge.
As of now, Sri Lanka Cricket is yet to issue a formal statement confirming the squad alteration.
With the tournament still in its early stages, Sri Lanka must now regroup quickly. The onus will fall on the remaining senior bowlers to shoulder added responsibility as the hosts attempt to keep their World Cup ambitions alive without one of their most influential players
Cricket
“I Just Wanted to Score a Few Boundaries” – Kamindu Mendis Stars as Sri Lanka Beat Ireland in T20 World Cup Opener
Sri Lanka’s decision to draft in Kamindu Mendis at the last moment proved inspired, as the all-rounder produced a match-turning knock to guide the hosts to a 20-run victory over Ireland in their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
Coming in with Sri Lanka in trouble at 86 for 4, Kamindu counter-attacked with a blistering 44 off just 19 deliveries, striking four boundaries and two sixes to swing momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour. His innings transformed a faltering batting effort into a competitive total of 163.
I just wanted to score a few boundaries and put a partnership with Kusal Mendis
Kusal was outstanding today. He deserves a lot of credit. We wanted someone to bat through the innings.
Kusal Mendis played the anchor role to perfection, remaining unbeaten on a composed half-century and ensuring Sri Lanka batted through their 20 overs — something that looked unlikely during the middle phase of the innings.
Sri Lanka’s bowling unit then delivered a disciplined performance, led by their spin trio of Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dunith Wellalage, who shared seven wickets to derail Ireland’s chase. Hasaranga claimed three scalps, taking his overall T20 World Cup wicket tally to 40 — second only to Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan (50).
There was a brief scare for Sri Lanka when Hasaranga limped off after his second over, sparking concern over his fitness. However, the skipper returned to complete his spell, easing fears ahead of the remaining group matches.
Ireland showed early promise, with George Dockrell returning impressive figures of 2 for 17 and a solid 49-run partnership between Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector keeping them in the contest. But once spin was introduced in tandem, the visitors struggled to maintain momentum.
From 105 for 2, Ireland lost wickets in quick succession and were eventually bowled out for 143 in 19.5 overs, with Matheesha Pathirana picking up two wickets in the final over.
They got about 15 runs too many,” admitted Ireland captain Paul Stirling.
We were a bit sloppy in the field and we’ve got plenty of work to do before the next game. Spin is going to play a big role in this tournament, and that’s something we need to adapt to quickly.
Co-hosting the 20-team tournament alongside defending champions India, Sri Lanka could not have asked for a better start. The victory not only earned crucial points but also injected confidence into a campaign that carries high expectations on home soil
Cricket
Pakistan–India Match Uncertainty Could Cost Sri Lanka Up to US$30 Million at ICC T20 World Cup 2026
Sri Lanka is facing a potential financial setback of up to US$25–30 million amid growing uncertainty over the highly anticipated Pakistan vs India clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, according to reports from local media and industry sources.
The island nation, which is set to co-host the global tournament, had been preparing to stage the marquee encounter on 15 February 2026 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. However, reports suggesting that Pakistan may boycott the fixture against India have raised serious concerns among Sri Lankan cricket officials and key stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
The Pakistan–India contest is widely regarded as the single biggest commercial driver of any ICC tournament, attracting massive global television audiences, sold-out stadiums and premium sponsorship interest. Sri Lanka had positioned the fixture as a major economic catalyst, with expectations of a sharp spike in international arrivals and record revenues across multiple sectors.
While no official cancellation has been announced, uncertainty surrounding Pakistan’s participation — reportedly linked to directives from the Pakistan government — has already begun to impact projected earnings. Tourism industry sources indicate that hotel bookings in Colombo and surrounding areas have slowed, with some early cancellations reported as fans and tour operators await clarity.
The potential fallout could be significant for Sri Lanka’s tourism-dependent economy, which increasingly relies on high-profile international sporting events to drive short-term visitor inflows and spending.
Commercial and Tourism Impact
Ticket sales for the India–Pakistan match were expected to be among the highest of the tournament, featuring premium pricing and early sell-outs typical of fixtures involving the two rivals. A boycott would likely result in major losses from ticket revenue, sponsorship activations, stadium advertising and broadcast-linked commercial agreements.
Beyond cricketing revenue, the ripple effect would be felt across airlines, travel agencies, restaurants, transport providers and small businesses operating around event venues. Informal sector workers — including vendors, drivers and temporary service staff — also stand to lose a crucial source of short-term income tied to matchday demand.
Sri Lanka Cricket Appeals to PCB
In an effort to prevent a damaging outcome, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva has formally written to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), urging it to reconsider reports that Pakistan may skip the February 15 fixture in Colombo.
In the letter, SLC stated that it had learned through media reports that while Pakistan is expected to participate in the tournament, a decision may have been taken to avoid the match against India. Sri Lanka Cricket emphasized that all commercial, logistical, security and operational arrangements for hosting the tournament have already been finalized.
SLC further highlighted that ticket sales for matches scheduled in Sri Lanka — particularly the India–Pakistan clash — had recorded exceptionally strong demand, underlining the scale of public interest and commercial expectations attached to the fixture.
Sri Lanka Cricket warned that Pakistan’s absence from such a high-profile match could have far-reaching economic consequences, including reduced tourism inflows, substantial revenue losses and broader impacts on businesses linked to the event.
With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 drawing closer, stakeholders across Sri Lanka are now anxiously awaiting clarity, hoping that diplomacy and dialogue can preserve cricket’s biggest rivalry — not only for the integrity of the tournament, but for the country’s economic interests as well.
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