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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
Virat Kohli Overtakes Sanath Jayasuriya in Player-of-the-Series Awards
Indian superstar Virat Kohli has overtaken Sri Lankan legend and current national head coach Sanath Jayasuriya in the list of most Player-of-the-Series awards in international cricket.
Kohli now moves to 12 series awards, surpassing Jayasuriya’s long-standing tally of 11, which placed the Sri Lankan great among the top performers in cricket history.
All-Time Most Player-of-the-Series Awards in International Cricket
- Sachin Tendulkar (India): 15 awards, 108 series, 1989–2012
- Virat Kohli (India): 12 awards, 76 series, 2008–2025
- Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka/Asia XI): 11 awards, 111 series, 1989–2011
- Shaun Pollock (South Africa/Africa XI/ICC): 9 awards, 60 series, 1996–2008
- Chris Gayle (West Indies/ICC): 8 awards, 71 series, 1999–2019
Despite being surpassed, Jayasuriya’s record — built across an illustrious career from 1989 to 2011 — remains a monumental achievement, highlighting his impact on world cricket as one of the most dominant all-round match-winners of his era.
Kohli’s latest milestone further strengthens his status as one of the modern game’s most consistent performers.
Football
Sri Lanka Fall 2–1 to Timor-Leste in Final Group Match, Ending AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers Campaign
Sri Lanka’s AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign came to an unexpected conclusion with a 2–1 defeat to Timor-Leste in their final Group A match in Chongqing. With both teams entering the fixture on three points, the match served as a direct battle for a fourth-place finish in the group. Despite pre-match expectations and form analysis suggesting Sri Lanka held the advantage, Timor-Leste delivered the stronger performance on the day.

Timor-Leste took control early and displayed greater urgency, breaking the deadlock in the 26th minute through Elton Da Conceicao, who capitalised on defensive hesitation to put his side ahead. Sri Lanka struggled to settle into rhythm, often losing second balls and failing to connect effectively in midfield.
The second half saw Timor-Leste continue to dictate play, maintaining higher intensity and pressing Sri Lanka into mistakes. Their persistence was rewarded in the 63rd minute when Jyzeus Gabriel Lay doubled the lead with a composed finish following a break in transition.

Sri Lanka managed to pull one goal back deep into stoppage time, as Ishaq found the net with a well-taken effort, but it was too late to alter the outcome. The result places Sri Lanka fifth in Group A, behind China PR, Bangladesh, Bahrain, and now Timor-Leste.
This outcome contradicts earlier projections that favoured Sri Lanka based on Timor-Leste’s previous results and goal difference. However, football at youth level often hinges on momentum, confidence, and adaptability—areas where Timor-Leste outperformed Sri Lanka on the day.

Sri Lanka conclude their campaign with one win and four losses, scoring six goals and conceding 17. While the tournament exposed defensive vulnerabilities and structural weaknesses, it also offered valuable international experience for a young squad still developing physically and tactically.
The focus now shifts to refining youth systems, improving defensive organisation, and strengthening player development pathways. The qualifiers may not have produced the results Sri Lanka had hoped for, but they provided clarity on the areas that require attention as the nation continues to rebuild at youth level.
Football
Sri Lanka Suffer 8–0 Defeat to China PR in AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers – Matchday 4 Update
Sri Lanka’s AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign took another difficult turn on Matchday 4 as they fell 8–0 to a dominant China PR side in Chongqing. China, who entered the fixture with 30 goals scored and none conceded, continued their perfect run with a commanding and clinical performance.

The defeat also slightly exceeded the earlier projected scoreline, as forecasts suggested a heavy loss in the range of 6–0 based on China’s form and Sri Lanka’s defensive struggles. China ultimately pushed beyond that margin with relentless second-half pressure and superior physicality.
China took control early when Zhao Songyuan opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Zhang Xuyao doubled the lead before the half-hour mark, and Kuang Zhaolei’s 41st-minute strike effectively settled the outcome before halftime.
The second half offered little relief for Sri Lanka. China maintained full command of possession and territory, adding five more goals through He Sifan (47’), Shuai Weihao (55’), Wan Xiang (75’, 77’) and Zhang Bolin (84’). The hosts’ sustained pressure, intelligent movement between the lines, and ruthless finishing highlighted the gap between the two nations at this age level.
With the win, China remain unbeaten with four straight victories, keeping pace with Bangladesh at the top of Group A. Owing to a significantly superior goal difference, China will only need a draw against Bangladesh on Sunday to finish as group leaders.

For Sri Lanka, the result reinforces the defensive and structural challenges identified throughout the campaign — particularly in dealing with high-pressing teams and managing space between defensive lines. The team now turns its attention to their final group match against Timor-Leste, a fixture they are expected to approach with confidence and a realistic chance of securing a second victory.
Sri Lanka have one match remaining in the qualifiers and will aim to finish on a stronger note as they continue their learning curve at continental level.
If you need an updated standings table, match preview for Sri Lanka vs Timor-Leste, or social media posts for this result, I can prepare those next.
Updated Group A Standings (After Matchday 4)
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China PR | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | +38 | 12 |
| Bangladesh | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 5 | +18 | 12 |
| Bahrain | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 6 |
| Sri Lanka | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 15 | -10 | 3 |
| Timor-Leste | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 30 | -30 | 0 |
| Brunei Darussalam | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 24 | -24 | 0 |
Sri Lanka vs Timor-Leste – Match Preview
Sri Lanka enter their final AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers Group A match against Timor-Leste with a crucial opportunity to end the campaign on a positive note. Both teams have faced heavy defeats throughout the group stage, with Timor-Leste failing to score a single goal and conceding 30.
Sri Lanka showed strong attacking quality in their 4–0 win over Brunei and were competitive in stretches against Bahrain before losing 2–1. Despite the 8–0 loss to China PR, the team retains the advantage in pace, transitional play, and individual technical ability over Timor-Leste.
Timor-Leste have struggled to maintain defensive shape and have been vulnerable in both wide areas and in transition. Their inability to build out from pressure offers Sri Lanka a clear opportunity to dominate possession and control attacking phases.
This match represents Sri Lanka’s best chance to secure a second win and finish the group in fourth place.
Match Prediction – Sri Lanka vs Timor-Leste
The previous prediction for this match was 3–1 in favour of Sri Lanka.
Based on both teams’ updated performances and form trends, this prediction remains accurate.
Predicted result: Sri Lanka 3–1 Timor-Leste
Sri Lanka are expected to:
• Control the midfield
• Create more chances from wide areas
• Use pace effectively in transition
• Limit Timor-Leste’s attacking threat
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