News

Renown Football Academy sponsors the All Island Under 18 Schools Football Championship for the eighth consecutive year

Published

2 years ago

November 5, 2023

Editor

M.H.Yakeem

Twenty teams will battle it out for the All Island under 18 Division 1 Boys Schools Football Championship 2023, sponsored by Renown Football Academy, organized and conducted by the Sri-Lanka Schools Football Association, under the guidance and supervision of the Ministry of Education.

Renown Football Academy, founded by Robert Peiris is sponsoring this tournament for the 8th consecutive year. They are also sponsoring the Girls under 18 tournament and the Boys under 18 division 2 tournament as well, where nearly more than 30 Girls schools and 100 plus Boys schools are expected to participate.

The Academy’s main vision is to guide and support the younger generation on the right path with the basics of the sport from the grassroots level. That is why when most sponsors backed off due to the financial crisis in the country the Academy sponsored almost all of the schools’ football tournaments for 2022 including the All Island Under 14 Boys and Girls, Under 16 Boys and Girls, Under 18 Boys and Girls and under 20 Girls Schools Football Championships considering the kids who had trained for a year would have missed out on the main tournament in the schools football calendar. Our long-term goal is to provide a career pathway through football by working together with the relevant authorities and corporate sponsors explained Sritharan Peeris, President of the Renown Football Academy at the press briefing held at the Sports Ministry Complex, Torrington Square, Colombo – 07 on the 14th of October 2023.

The 20 teams, who are eligible to play in the Division 1 tournament are divided into 4 groups and the matches will be played on a league basis. The top 2 teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-final.

Muslim Central College Kalutara, St. Joseph’s College Colombo, De Mazenod College Kandana, Dharmadutha College Badulla, and St. Sebastian’s College Katuneriya are drawn in the group ” A “, Hameed Al Husseinie College Colombo, St. Benedict’s College Kotahena, Royal College Colombo, Maris Stella College Negombo, and Maliyadeva Model School Kurunegala are drawn in group ” B “, Wesley College Colombo, Zahira College Colombo, St. Henry’s College Jaffna, Maliyadeva College Kurunegala, and Lumbini College Colombo are drawn in group ” C “, Jaffna Central College, Al Aqsa National School Kinniya, St. Patrick’s College Jaffna, Al Hikma College Colombo, and St. Mary’s College Negombo are drawn in group ” D “.

The teams will be Captained by P.Dineth Vishmitha ( St. Joseph’s College Colombo ), A.M. Athiq ( Dharmadutha College Badulla ), M. Adeesha Dewthilina Dias ( De Mazenod College Kandana ), W.M. Kavisha Nethmal Fernando ( St. Sebastian’s College Katuneriya), Rufan Akmal ( Muslim Central College Kalutara ), Mohamed Fazlan ( Hameed Al Husseinie College Colombo ), Nichol Aaron De Croos ( Maris Stella College Negombo ), Inuka Nonis ( Royal College Colombo ), Magage Tharindra Adithya Perera ( St. Benedict’s College Colombo ), D.M. Onija Wathsuka ( Malyadeva Model School Kurunegala ), F.R. Fareeq Ahamed ( Zahira College Colombo ), Akeesha Rashmika (Lumbini College Colombo ), Abdul Haadi (Wesley College Colombo ), Sri Muralitharan Johanan ( St. Henry’s College Jaffna ), Nimna Sandew Karunasinghe ( Maliyadeva College Kurunegala ), Uvanthirarasa Yalarasan( Jaffna Central College ), Calistus Siyam ( St. Patrick’s College Jaffna ), Kaveen Lashan ( St. Mary’s College Negombo ), Mohamed Shahid ( Al Hikma College Colombo ), Mohamed Sammi (Al Aqsa National School Kinniya ).

Caption

The Captains of the under 18 division 1 Schools Football teams with the President of the Renown Football Academy, Sritharan Peeris, Sri-Lanka Schools Football Association Secretary, U.M.S. Dissanayake and other school officials

News

Awareness Media Briefing on New Sports Regulations

Published

9 hours ago

May 30, 2025

Editor

A special media briefing on the new regulations under the Sports Act was held on May 30, 2025, at the Department of Government Information, with the aim of raising public awareness on the upcoming changes to Sri Lanka’s sports governance framework.

The event featured key officials from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, including:

Sunil Kumara Gamagedara – Minister of Youth and Sports
Sugath Thilakaratne – Deputy Minister of Sports
Aruna Bandara – Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports
Shemal Fernando – Director General of Sports
Priyantha Ekanayake – Chairman, National Sports Council

These leaders addressed the media on the impact, scope, and enforcement of the new regulations, highlighting their importance in ensuring transparency, accountability, and modernization in Sri Lanka’s sports sector.

Cricket

Nuwan Thushara Shines as RCB Storms into IPL 2025 Final

Published

1 day ago

May 30, 2025

Editor

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) booked their place in the grand finale of IPL 2025 with an emphatic 8-wicket victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 2, chasing down 102 runs in just 10 overs. The match, held in Ahmedabad, saw RCB continue their dominant form in the playoffs, with Sri Lanka’s very own Nuwan Thushara making his presence felt on the biggest T20 franchise stage.

Thushara, who has been a consistent figure in RCB’s bowling attack, picked up a crucial wicket in the Qualifier 1 against Lucknow Super Giants and has steadily built a reputation as a reliable powerplay bowler. His unique slingy action and accuracy have made him a fan favourite in Bengaluru and among Sri Lankan cricket fans. Although he took just 1 wicket in the latest game, his economical spells have contributed significantly to RCB’s campaign.

RCB’s victory against PBKS came on the back of a brilliant bowling effort, bundling Punjab out for a mere 101. RCB’s top order made light work of the target, finishing the chase with 60 balls to spare – the most dominant playoff win in IPL history in terms of balls remaining.

Sri Lanka’s IPL participation this year has been headlined by Nuwan Thushara, whose breakthrough season is setting the tone for more Lankan stars to shine in the league. His performance is also a testament to the growing impact of Sri Lankan pace bowlers in franchise cricket worldwide.

RCB will now face either Gujarat Titans or Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 Final on June 3rd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Thushara is expected to play a key role as RCB aims to secure their maiden IPL title.

As the cricketing world gears up for a blockbuster final, Sri Lankan fans will be cheering on Thushara, hoping he brings IPL glory back to Bengaluru – and pride to Sri Lanka.

Cricket

Galle Marvels Owner Sentenced in Match-Fixing Case Under Sri Lanka’s Sports Offences Law

Published

2 days ago

May 29, 2025

Editor

In a landmark ruling under Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act, Indian businessman Prem Thakkar, the franchise owner of Lanka T10 League side Galle Marvels, has been handed a suspended prison sentence for attempting to fix a match during the 2024 tournament.

Thakkar pleaded guilty to a match-fixing charge and was sentenced by the Kandy High Court to two years of rigorous imprisonment, suspended for 10 years. He was also ordered to pay a Rs. 6 million fine and Rs. 1 million in compensation.

The charges stem from an incident in December 2024, when Thakkar allegedly approached West Indies cricketer Andre Fletcher with an offer to influence the outcome of a Lanka T10 League match involving the Galle Marvels. The case was investigated by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit in collaboration with Sri Lanka’s Special Investigation Unit for Sports-Related Offences.

The court further permitted the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit to access and analyze data from Thakkar’s mobile device to support ongoing investigations into wider corruption networks.

This conviction marks one of the first high-profile applications of Sri Lanka’s sports-related anti-corruption laws and sends a strong signal about the country’s commitment to upholding integrity in sports. The Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act, enacted in 2019, criminalizes corruption in sport and provides legal mechanisms to penalize offenders—including jail time and financial penalties.

From a sports governance standpoint, this case underscores the growing necessity for franchise owners and stakeholders to be held accountable under national laws, especially as the popularity of short-format leagues like the Lanka T10 continues to rise.

Thakkar, who has now been granted permission to leave Sri Lanka after settling the financial penalties, becomes the first franchise owner in Lanka T10 history to be convicted under the country’s sports integrity laws.

As Sri Lanka continues to grow as a regional hub for franchise-based cricket, this incident also raises pressing questions for tournament organizers, including Sri Lanka Cricket, on the due diligence applied when awarding team ownerships and the oversight mechanisms in places.