Sri Lanka has officially qualified for the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2025 after a commanding 59-19 victory over Malaysia, marking a major step forward in their journey toward the Rugby World Cup 2027.

The Tuskers came out charging in this crucial qualifying clash, showcasing a blend of power, pace, and precision as they dismantled the Malaysian defense to book their place among Asia’s top rugby nations. With this win, Sri Lanka joins the elite group set to compete for the continent’s sole direct qualification spot for the Rugby World Cup 2027, to be held in Australia.

What’s Next? The Road to Australia 2027

The Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2025 will be held between June and July 2025, featuring top sides including Hong Kong China, Korea, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates. The winner of the tournament will directly qualify for the Rugby World Cup 2027, while the runner-up will get a second chance through the Asia/Africa Play-Off.

Sri Lanka will now look to prepare for this pivotal tournament, with the goal of becoming the first-ever Sri Lankan team to qualify for a Rugby World Cup.

Global Qualification Overview:

• Europe (4 teams): Semi-finalists from Rugby Europe Men’s Championship 2025.
• Africa (1 team): Winner of Rugby Africa Men’s Cup 2025.
• South America (1 team): Winner of Sudamérica Rugby Championship 2025.
• Pacific (3 teams): Top 3 from the Pacific Nations Cup 2025 (excluding already-qualified Fiji and Japan).
• Asia (1 team): Winner of the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2025 (which now includes Sri Lanka).
• Final Qualification Tournament (1 team): A round-robin between four remaining contenders from intercontinental play-offs.

As the race to Australia 2027 heats up, Sri Lanka’s emphatic entry into the Asian Championship is a huge statement of intent. The nation’s rugby faithful will be eagerly following the Elephants as they charge toward a historic World Cup debut.

Sri Lanka’s proud medal tally at the 2025 Asian Youth Athletics Championships in Saudi Arabia has been marred by a shocking administrative blunder that led to the disqualification of two promising young athletes — Niduki Prarthana and Ayesha Sewwandi — from the women’s U-18 1500m event.

Despite preparing extensively and showing medal-winning potential, the duo missed their event due to a miscommunication by Sri Lankan athletics officials accompanying the team. According to the athletes, they were wrongly informed that the call time was 6:20 p.m., when in fact it had been scheduled for 6:10 p.m. By the time they arrived at the call room, they were told they could not participate.

This was our first international tour. We were aiming for medals. But due to someone else’s mistake, we lost our chance. We felt like giving up the sport altogether

said Niduki and Ayesha, speaking upon their return to Sri Lanka.

Their emotional reaction highlights the deep disappointment felt not only by the athletes but also by fans and supporters who expected better professionalism from the officials representing the country on the international stage.

This incident raises serious concerns about the preparedness, accountability, and competence of those responsible for athlete coordination at international events. The failure to ensure accurate communication and timely reporting reflects a lack of basic administrative responsibility — one that has directly affected the morale and future of two young talents.

Yet, in spite of this setback, Sri Lanka’s athletes managed to deliver a historic performance, securing 1 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals — the highest-ever medal haul for the country in the championship’s history.

Special recognition goes to Tharushi Abhisheka, who claimed gold in the girls’ 800m, and later anchored the medley relay team to a silver medal. Alongside her were outstanding performances by Dilki Nehara, Dhananjana Fernando, Sansala Himashini, Savindu Awishka, Pavan Nethya Sampath, Janith Lakshan Jenkins, and Lahiru Achintha.

While the young athletes showcased resilience, passion, and potential, their efforts must not be overshadowed by administrative carelessness. It is imperative that the Ministry of Sports and relevant authorities conduct an immediate inquiry into the incident and implement measures to ensure such negligence does not repeat.

Sri Lanka’s future in athletics looks bright — but only if our officials rise to the standard set by our athletes.

Tharushi Abhisheka shines with gold as Sri Lanka secures best-ever finish in championship history

Sri Lanka made history at the 6th Asian Under-18 Athletics Championships held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, achieving its highest-ever medal tally with eight medals — 1 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze. This outstanding performance earned Sri Lanka 9th place overall, marking the nation’s best finish in the tournament’s history.

The spotlight of the tournament was firmly on Tharushi Abhisheka from Wikramabahu National School, Gampola, who dominated the girls’ 800m, winning gold with a time of 2:14.86. Her victory marks just the second gold medal ever won by Sri Lanka at this championship, following Yamani Dulanjali’s 2015 triumph in the 400m hurdles.

Tharushi’s brilliance continued as she anchored the Sri Lankan girls’ medley relay team to a silver medal, alongside teammates Dilki Nehara, Dhananjana Fernando, and Sansala Himashini. This medal was the second podium finish for Tharushi, Dilki, and Dhananjana, while it marked a comeback moment for Sansala after a fall in the 400m hurdles.

Dilki Nehara further cemented her status as a rising star by winning bronze in the triple jump with a leap of 12.35m. Dhananjana Fernando impressed in the sprints, claiming silver in the 100m (11.92s) before contributing to the relay team’s silver.

In the boys’ events, Savindu Awishka secured bronze in the 800m with a time of 1:53.41, after a strong lead in the early stages of the race. Pavan Nethya Sampath cleared 2.03m in the high jump to add another bronze to the tally.

Janith Lakshan Jenkins of St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy, got Sri Lanka off to a strong start by winning silver in the triple jump (15.10m) on day one. The medal count was capped by Lahiru Achintha, who earned bronze in the boys’ 1500m, clocking 3:59.76.

This record-setting performance highlights the emerging strength of Sri Lanka’s youth athletics, with a new generation of talent making their mark on the Asian stage. The success of athletes like Tharushi Abhisheka signals a promising future for Sri Lankan track and field on the international scene.