Dr. Shemal Fernando, PhD has been appointed as the Director General of Sports by the Cabinet of Ministers headed by the President, His Excellency Ranil Wickramasinghe on the recommendations of Hon. Roshan Ranasinghe, the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs.

Dr. Fernando is the first Sri Lankan to achieve a doctoral degree (PhD) in sports science at a Sri Lankan university. He has fulfilled the strong criteria outlined for the key post in the country’s sports and topped the ‘Merit List’ compiled by a Cabinet Appointed Committee chaired by Anura Dissanayake, the Secretary to the Prime Minister and included Donald Fernando, the Secretary to the Cabinet and Mr K. Mahesan, the Secretary Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs.

Dr. Fernando has also completed the International Olympic Committee’s academic degree, and an Executive MSc in sports administration, securing an Olympic Solidarity scholarship. Besides, his credentials include a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and a Master of Science (MSc) in management spheres and the International Staff Course at the prestigious United States Naval War College and other post-graduate qualifications.

He is the recipient of the prestigious Presidential Sports Award for Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Sports Science Academic in 2017 and 2018 as well as the Silk Sports Award for the Outstanding Academic Achiever of 2018. He is also chosen first in the “Order of Merit” of the Kotelawala Defence University Convocation for his doctoral thesis on “Strategies to win elite medals for Sri Lanka in sports.”

A product of Royal College, Colombo and a passionate sports administrator, he has gained invaluable experience and exposure through decades of interactive association with the National Olympic Committee as well as holding office of President, Vice President and Secretary General of National Sports Federations with wider international audiences all along his unblemished and decorative professional career in the Sri Lanka Navy where he rose to the two-star rank of an Admiral and held key Director General posts at Naval Headquarters. 

He has also become the first Sri Lankan to be honoured by the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) in recognition of his post-doctoral research. Interested in the dissemination of sports philosophy, he has lectured at numerous universities and published more than 200 papers, in a variety of popular publications, including the Olympic World Library, extensively on Olympism, Olympic Games and almost on all sports. He serves as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Sports Management.

As the Chef-De-Mission of Team Sri Lanka, he contributed towards winning Men’s Cricket Gold for Sri Lanka at Incheon 2014 Asian Games. He has admirably led Sri Lankan Contingents to Athens 2004 Olympic Games, London 2012 Olympic Games, Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, Sherbrook 2003 World Youth Championships, Catania 2003 World Military Games, Doha 2006 Asian Games, Hyderabad 2007 World Military Games, Isle of Man 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and Incheon 2014 Asian Games.