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Shammi Silva Eyeing to secure sole World Cup hosting rights for Sri Lanka

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Shammi Silva was unanimously re-elected President for the term 2023 to 2025 at the Sri Lanka Cricket AGM held on Saturday to elect office-bearers. The decision was declared by the Election Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Silva’s election marks his 3rd term in office as President of SLC, and the 2nd time being elected uncontested.

Speaking to the media following the AGM, Silva spoke about objectives for his next two-year term, one of which was securing sole World Cup hosting rights for Sri Lanka, which is due to co-host the 2026 T20 World Cup with India.

“We won’t get to back our missed World Cup opportunity. We missed out on hosting the World Cup alone in 2026, as we didn’t have enough grounds of international standard with flood lights,” Silva said.

“We had a proposal to build a new stadium quashed by a few people. Because of that, the country has lost the opportunity of hosting Worlds Cups. In time to come, we want Sri Lanka to host more World Cup tournaments. At the same time, if we have more stadiums we can get certain tournaments that are being played in other countries to be played in Sri Lanka.”

Silva added that the proposal to build a new floodlit stadium in Biyagama, about 12 miles outside Colombo, would be looked at again in the near future.

Silva also revealed that discussions were underway about potential changes in voting rights among SLC’s member clubs. Currently, SLC elections count 148 votes from its members, with some clubs having the privilege of two votes owing to different categories of membership. Critics of the system have long argued that it gives rise to a culture of buying votes.

“We are discussing it with the Sports Ministry and Minister. We have appointed a committee, so we’re definitely going to reduce a lot of votes,” he said.

The position of Honorary Assistant Treasurer remained vacant due to the nomination being withdrawn, and an appointment will be made in due course, as per Article 7 (I) of the SLC constitution.

The rest of the office-bearers, who were also elected uncontested, are as follows:

  • Dr. Jayantha Dharmadasa, Honorary Vice President

Ravin Wickramaratne, Honorary Vice President

Mohan de Silva, Honorary Secretary

Sujeeva Godaliyadda, Honorary Treasurer

Chryshantha Kapuwatte, Honorary Assistant Secretary

Shammi Silva Eyeing to secure sole World Cup hosting rights for Sri Lanka

Shammi Silva was unanimously re-elected President for the term 2023 to 2025 at the Sri Lanka Cricket AGM held on Saturday to elect office-bearers. The decision was declared by the Election Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Silva’s election marks his 3rd term in office as President of SLC, and the 2nd time being elected uncontested.

Speaking to the media following the AGM, Silva spoke about objectives for his next two-year term, one of which was securing sole World Cup hosting rights for Sri Lanka, which is due to co-host the 2026 T20 World Cup with India.

“We won’t get to back our missed World Cup opportunity. We missed out on hosting the World Cup alone in 2026, as we didn’t have enough grounds of international standard with flood lights,” Silva said.

“We had a proposal to build a new stadium quashed by a few people. Because of that, the country has lost the opportunity of hosting Worlds Cups. In time to come, we want Sri Lanka to host more World Cup tournaments. At the same time, if we have more stadiums we can get certain tournaments that are being played in other countries to be played in Sri Lanka.”

Silva added that the proposal to build a new floodlit stadium in Biyagama, about 12 miles outside Colombo, would be looked at again in the near future.

Silva also revealed that discussions were underway about potential changes in voting rights among SLC’s member clubs. Currently, SLC elections count 148 votes from its members, with some clubs having the privilege of two votes owing to different categories of membership. Critics of the system have long argued that it gives rise to a culture of buying votes.

“We are discussing it with the Sports Ministry and Minister. We have appointed a committee, so we’re definitely going to reduce a lot of votes,” he said.

The position of Honorary Assistant Treasurer remained vacant due to the nomination being withdrawn, and an appointment will be made in due course, as per Article 7 (I) of the SLC constitution.

The rest of the office-bearers, who were also elected uncontested, are as follows:

*Dr. Jayantha Dharmadasa, Honorary Vice President

Ravin Wickramaratne, Honorary Vice President

Mohan de Silva, Honorary Secretary

Sujeeva Godaliyadda, Honorary Treasurer

Chrysantha Kapuwatte, Honorary Assistant Secretary

ශම්මි සිල්වා ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට තනිව ලෝක කුසලාන සත්කාරක අයිතිය ලබා ගැනීමට අපේක්ෂා කරයි

සෙනසුරාදා පැවති ශ්‍රී ලංකා ක්‍රිකට් සාමාන්‍යාධිකාරී මණ්ඩල රැස්වීමේදී 2023 සිට 2025 දක්වා කාලය සඳහා ශම්මි සිල්වා ඒකමතිකව නැවත සභාපතිවරයා ලෙස තේරී පත් විය. ශ්‍රී ලංකා ක්‍රිකට් නිලවරණ කමිටුව විසින් මෙම තීරණය ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කර ඇත.

සිල්වා මහතා ශ්‍රී ලංකා ක්‍රිකට් ආයතනයේ සභාපති ධූරයේ 3 වැනි ධුර කාලය සනිටුහන් කරන අතර 2 වැනි වරටත් නිතරගයෙන් තේරී පත් විය.

මහා සභා රැස්වීමෙන් අනතුරුව මාධ්‍ය වෙත අදහස් දක්වමින් සිල්වා, ඔහුගේ ඉදිරි වසර දෙකක ධුර කාලය සඳහා අරමුණු ගැන කතා කළ අතර, ඉන් එකක් වූයේ 2026 T20 ලෝක කුසලානය ඉන්දියාව සමඟ සම සත්කාරකත්වය දැරීමට නියමිත ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට එකම ලෝක කුසලාන සත්කාරක අයිතිය ලබා ගැනීමයි.

“අපට අහිමි වූ ලෝක කුසලාන අවස්ථාවට පිටුබලය දීමට අපට නොහැකි වනු ඇත. 2026 දී පමණක් ලෝක කුසලානය පැවැත්වීම අපට මග හැරුණි, මන්ද අපට ජාත්‍යන්තර මට්ටමේ විදුලි පහන් සහිත ක්‍රීඩාංගණ ප්‍රමාණවත් නොවීම නිසා,” සිල්වා පැවසීය.

“අපිට යෝජනාවක් තිබුණා කීප දෙනෙක් එකතුවෙලා නවත්තලා අලුත් ක්‍රීඩාංගනයක් හදන්න. ඒ නිසා ලෝක කුසලාන පැවැත්වීමේ අවස්ථාව රටට අහිමි වෙලා. ඉදිරි කාලය තුළ ශ්‍රී ලංකාව තවත් ලෝක කුසලාන තරඟාවලි පවත්වන්න ඕන. ඒ එක්කම. අපට තවත් ක්‍රීඩාංගණ තිබේ නම් අපට වෙනත් රටවල ක්‍රීඩා කරන ඇතැම් තරඟාවලි ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පැවැත්වීමට හැකි වේ.

කොළඹින් සැතපුම් 12ක් පමණ එපිටින් බියගම ප්‍රදේශයේ නව විදුලි ආලෝක ක්‍රීඩාංගනයක් ඉදිකිරීමේ යෝජනාව නුදුරු අනාගතයේදී නැවත සලකා බලන බව ද සිල්වා මහතා පැවසීය.

ශ‍්‍රී ලංකා ක‍්‍රිකට් ආයතනයේ සාමාජික සමාජ අතර ඡන්ද අයිතියේ ඇති විය හැකි වෙනස්කම් පිළිබඳව සාකච්ඡා කෙරෙමින් පවතින බව ද සිල්වා මහතා අනාවරණය කළේය. වර්තමානයේදී, ශ්‍රී ලංකා ක්‍රිකට් නිලවරණය එහි සාමාජිකයින්ගෙන් ඡන්ද 148ක් ගණනය කරනු ලබන අතර, විවිධ සාමාජික කාණ්ඩ හේතුවෙන් ඇතැම් සමාජශාලාවලට ඡන්ද දෙකක වරප්‍රසාද හිමිවේ. මෙම ක්‍රමය විවේචනය කරන්නන් දිගු කලක් තිස්සේ තර්ක කරන්නේ එය ඡන්ද මිලදී ගැනීමේ සංස්කෘතියක් ඇති කරන බවයි.

“අපි ඒ ගැන ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශය සහ ඇමතිතුමා එක්ක සාකච්ඡා කරනවා. අපි කමිටුවක් පත් කර තිබෙනවා. ඒ නිසා අපි අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම ඡන්ද ගොඩක් අඩු කරනවා,” ඔහු පැවසීය.

නාමයෝජනා ඉල්ලා අස්කර ගැනීම හේතුවෙන් ගරු සහකාර භාණ්ඩාගාරික තනතුර පුරප්පාඩු වූ අතර, ශ්‍රී ලංකා ක්‍රිකට් ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 7 (I) වගන්තිය ප්‍රකාර පත්වීමක් ඉදිරියේදී සිදු කෙරේ.

එසේම නිතරගයෙන් තේරී පත් වූ සෙසු නිලධාරී මණ්ඩලය මෙසේය.

*ආචාර්ය. ජයන්ත ධර්මදාස, ගරු උප සභාපති

රවීන් වික්‍රමරත්න, ගරු උප සභාපති

මොහාන් ද සිල්වා, ගරු ලේකම්

සුජීව ගොඩලියද්ද, ගරු භාණ්ඩාගාරික

ක්‍රිසාන්ත කපුවත්ත, ගරු සහකාර ලේකම්

ஷம்மி சில்வா இலங்கைக்கான முற்றிலும் உலகக் கோப்பையை நடத்தும் உரிமையைப் பெற விரும்புகிறார்

2023 ஆம் ஆண்டு முதல் 2025 ஆம் ஆண்டு வரையிலான காலப்பகுதிக்கான ஜனாதிபதியாக ஷம்மி சில்வா சனிக்கிழமையன்று நடைபெற்ற இலங்கை கிரிக்கெட் பொதுக்குழுவில் பதவியேற்றார். இந்த முடிவை இலங்கை கிரிக்கெட் வாரியம் அறிவித்துள்ளது.

சில்வாவின் தேர்தல் அவர் SLC இன் தலைவராக 3வது முறையாக பதவியேற்றதுடன், 2வது முறையாக போட்டியின்றி தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டார்.

AGM ஐத் தொடர்ந்து ஊடகங்களுக்குப் பேட்டியளித்த சில்வா, தனது அடுத்த இரண்டு வருட பதவிக் காலத்திற்கான நோக்கங்களைப் பற்றி பேசினார், அதில் ஒன்று, 2026 T20 உலகக் கோப்பையை இந்தியாவுடன் இணைந்து நடத்தவுள்ள இலங்கைக்கான உலகக் கோப்பை ஹோஸ்டிங் உரிமைகளைப் பெறுவது.

“எங்கள் தவறவிட்ட உலகக் கோப்பை வாய்ப்பை நாங்கள் ஆதரிக்க மாட்டோம். 2026 இல் உலகக் கோப்பையை மட்டும் நடத்துவதை நாங்கள் தவறவிட்டோம், ஏனெனில் எங்களிடம் போதுமான சர்வதேச தரத்தில் ஃப்ளட் லைட்கள் இல்லை,” என்று சில்வா கூறினார்.

“ஒரு சிலரால் புதிய மைதானம் கட்டும் திட்டம் இருந்தது. அதனால், உலகக் கோப்பைகளை நடத்தும் வாய்ப்பை நாடு இழந்துவிட்டது. வரும் காலத்தில், இலங்கை மேலும் உலகக் கோப்பை போட்டிகளை நடத்த வேண்டும் என்று நாங்கள் விரும்புகிறோம். எங்களிடம் அதிக மைதானங்கள் இருந்தால், மற்ற நாடுகளில் விளையாடும் சில போட்டிகளை இலங்கையில் நடத்த முடியும்.”

கொழும்பிற்கு வெளியே சுமார் 12 மைல் தொலைவில் உள்ள பியகமவில் புதிய ஃப்ளட்லைட் மைதானத்தை நிர்மாணிப்பதற்கான முன்மொழிவு எதிர்காலத்தில் மீண்டும் பரிசீலிக்கப்படும் என்று சில்வா மேலும் கூறினார்.

SLC இன் அங்கத்துவக் கழகங்களுக்கிடையில் வாக்களிக்கும் உரிமைகளில் சாத்தியமான மாற்றங்கள் குறித்து கலந்துரையாடல்கள் நடைபெற்று வருவதாகவும் சில்வா தெரிவித்தார். தற்போது, SLC தேர்தல்கள் அதன் உறுப்பினர்களிடமிருந்து 148 வாக்குகளைக் கணக்கிடுகின்றன, சில கிளப்கள் வெவ்வேறு வகை உறுப்பினர்களின் காரணமாக இரண்டு வாக்குகளின் சிறப்புரிமையைப் பெற்றுள்ளன. வாக்குகளை விலைக்கு வாங்கும் கலாசாரம் உருவாகிறது என்று இந்த அமைப்பை விமர்சிப்பவர்கள் நீண்டகாலமாக வாதிட்டு வருகின்றனர்.

“நாங்கள் விளையாட்டு அமைச்சகத்துடனும் அமைச்சருடனும் ஆலோசித்து வருகிறோம். நாங்கள் ஒரு குழுவை நியமித்துள்ளோம், எனவே நாங்கள் நிச்சயமாக நிறைய வாக்குகளைக் குறைக்கப் போகிறோம்,” என்று அவர் கூறினார்.

வேட்புமனு வாபஸ் பெறப்பட்டதால் கெளரவ உதவி பொருளாளர் பதவி காலியாக உள்ளது, மேலும் SLC அரசியலமைப்பின் பிரிவு 7 (I) இன் படி, உரிய நேரத்தில் நியமனம் செய்யப்படும்.

போட்டியின்றி தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட மீதமுள்ள நிர்வாகிகள் விவரம் வருமாறு:

*டாக்டர். ஜயந்த தர்மதாச, கௌரவ உப தலைவர்

ரவின் விக்கிரமரத்ன, கௌரவ உப தலைவர்

மொஹான் டி சில்வா, கௌரவ செயலாளர்

சுஜீவ கொடலியத்த, கௌரவ பொருளாளர்

கிரிசாந்த கபுவத்த, கௌரவ உதவிச் செயலாளர்

Cricket

Sri Lanka Crush Australia by 174 Runs, Seal 2-0 ODI Series

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Sri Lanka completed a lopsided 2-0 ODI series victory over Australia by winning the second match at Colombo by a commanding 174 runs. Driven by Mendis’ century (101 off 115) and a disciplined bowling display, the hosts made quick work of a weakened Australian outfit, limiting them to just 107 runs in reply to Sri Lanka’s 281/4.

Sri Lanka Finish Off Well, Led By Kusal and Asalanka

Sri Lanka were on the frontfoot for most of the innings after opting to bat first, with Kusal Mendis playing a pivotal knock at the top of the order. He was well supported by captain Charith Asalanka (78 off 66)*, who opened the batting with Nishan Madushka (51 off 62), laying a solid platform.

Missing the trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, Australia’s bowling attack could not rein in the batters. Only Sean Abbott (1/41) and Ben Dwarshuis (1/47) stood out from the Australian line-but none of them could prevent Sri Lanka from putting a competitive total on the board.

Australian Batting Collapses Against Spinn

Chasing 282, Australia’s batting lineup collapsed under pressure, being bowled out for a meager 107 in 24.2 overs. Asitha Fernando (3/23) struck early dismissing the key batters before the Sri Lankan spinners took complete control. The middle order was then sent into a tailspin by Dunith Wellalage (4/35) and Wanindu Hasaranga (3/23).

Stand-in skipper Steven Smith (29 off 34) and Josh Inglis (22 off 27) put forth an effort to build the innings, but wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. Sri Lanka sealed a comfortable victory as the lower order offered little resistance.

Australia’s Precarious Position on Eve of Champions Trophy

That was Australia’s sixth loss in their last eight ODIs, which is raising questions as the Champions Trophy approaches. Their bowling unit is still under pressure and the inconsistency of the top order is a major cause of concern. Meanwhile Sri Lanka won nine in their last 13 ODIs, but will not participate in the Champions Trophy owing to their performance that was part of the qualification process for the 2023 World Cup.

This series win is a great signal for Sri Lankan cricket as they are rebuilding their team through a combination of experienced and young players, despite that setback.

Match Summary

Sri Lanka – 281/4 (50 overs)
Kusal Mendis – 101 (115)
Charith Asalanka – 78* (66)
Nishan Madushka – 51 (62)
Sean Abbott – 1/41 (10)
Ben Dwarshuis – 1/47 (10)

Australia – 107/10 (24.2 overs)
Steven Smith – 29 (34)
Josh Inglis – 22 (27)
Dunith Wellalage – 4/35 (7.2)
Wanindu Hasaranga – 3/23 (7)
Asitha Fernando – 3/23 (5)

Sri Lanka’s emphatic victory will boost their confidence going into upcoming series, while Australia will need to regroup for a rethink ahead of major tournaments.

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Cricket

Charith Asalanka Stars in Sri Lanka’s Dramatic ODI Victory Over Australia

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Sri Lanka secured a stunning 49-run win over Australia in the first ODI of their series, defending a modest total of 214 runs—the second-lowest total ever defended against Australia in men’s ODIs since 2005. Charith Asalanka played a match-winning role, scoring a brilliant 127 runs off 126 balls, guiding Sri Lanka to an unexpected victory in Colombo.

Asalanka’s Heroic Century Leads Sri Lanka

After Sri Lanka was reduced to 135 for 8, Asalanka took charge, delivering a match-defining knock. He formed a crucial 79-run partnership with Eshan Malinga for the ninth wicket, with Malinga contributing just 1 run off 26 balls. Asalanka’s 127 runs accounted for over 59% of Sri Lanka’s total runs, marking one of the highest individual contributions in Sri Lanka’s ODI history.

Australia’s Struggles in the Chase

Australia, missing key players such as Travis Head, Josh Inglis, and Glenn Maxwell, started their chase poorly, losing four wickets in the first ten overs. Matt Short was dismissed for a duck, and Jake Fraser-McGurk fell cheaply. Despite Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne attempting to rebuild the innings, Australia collapsed to 85 for 6, giving Sri Lanka a strong grip on the match.

Sri Lanka’s Bowlers Dominate

Sri Lanka’s bowlers, led by Maheesh Theekshana (4/40), were exceptional in dismantling Australia’s top order. Asitha Fernando and Dunith Wellalage provided crucial breakthroughs, ensuring Australia never found their rhythm. Aaron Hardie and Sean Abbott showed resistance, but their efforts weren’t enough to chase down the target.

Asalanka’s Contribution in Context

Asalanka’s 127 runs were not only the second-highest score by a Sri Lankan batter against Australia in ODIs but also marked his fourth career century in the format. His knock was a blend of patience and aggression, with aggressive shots coming at crucial moments to shift the momentum in Sri Lanka’s favor.

Australia’s Seam Attack

Australia’s seam-heavy attack, led by Abbott, Hardie, and Spencer Johnson, initially troubled Sri Lanka’s top order, especially in the humid conditions of Colombo. However, Asalanka’s dominance with the bat turned the match in Sri Lanka’s favor, despite strong spells from the Australian bowlers.

Sri Lanka’s Resilience

Sri Lanka’s 214 runs were initially thought to be insufficient, but a disciplined bowling performance ensured they defended the total successfully. Asalanka’s leadership and resilience with the bat, coupled with the bowlers’ sharp performance, guided Sri Lanka to an unexpected ODI win over a weakened Australian side.

Key Highlights:

  • Charith Asalanka scores a match-winning 127 runs.
  • Sri Lanka defends 214 runs to beat Australia by 49 runs.
  • Maheesh Theekshana claims 4 wickets, while Asitha Fernando and Dunith Wellalage also contribute crucial breakthroughs.
  • Australia crumbles to 165 all out, with Aaron Hardie and Sean Abbott making late resistance.

Sri Lanka’s 49-run victory over Australia is a significant achievement, continuing their strong ODI form and showing their fighting spirit despite not qualifying for the Champions Trophy. This victory marks Sri Lanka’s 8th win in their last 12 ODIs, showcasing a promising future for the team.

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Football

Sri Lanka Schools National Championship 2025: Super 8 Fixtures and Grouping

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The Sri Lanka Schools National Championship 2025 – Under 20 Division 1 Boys’ Football Tournament has progressed to the Super 8 Round, with eight teams competing in two groups. The Sri Lanka Schools Football Association (SLSFA) is conducting the tournament in collaboration with the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL).

Super 8 Grouping

Group A

  • Alighar National School – Eravur
  • Darussalam College – Colombo 10
  • St. Joseph’s College – Colombo 10
  • Kalutara Muslim Central College

Group B

  • Zahira College – Colombo
  • Hameed Al Husseinie College – Colombo 12
  • Al Falah College – Negombo
  • St. Patrick’s College – Jaffna

Match Venues and Schedule

The Super 8 Round matches are scheduled to be played at Kelaniya Football Complex, whereas last year’s second round matches were held at Sugathadasa Stadium under the hosting of Sri Lankan Sports TV.

Super 8 Round Fixtures

Match DayDateTimeGroupMatch
MD-114.02.2025 (Fri)8:00 AMADarussalam College vs St. Joseph’s College
14.02.2025 (Fri)3:00 PMAAlighar National School vs Kalutara Muslim Central College
MD-215.02.2025 (Sat)8:00 AMBHameed Al Husseinie College vs Al Falah College
15.02.2025 (Sat)3:00 PMBZahira College vs St. Patrick’s College
MD-317.02.2025 (Mon)8:00 AMASt. Joseph’s College vs Alighar National School
17.02.2025 (Mon)3:00 PMAKalutara Muslim Central College vs Darussalam College
MD-418.02.2025 (Tue)8:00 AMBAl Falah College vs Zahira College
18.02.2025 (Tue)3:00 PMBSt. Patrick’s College vs Hameed Al Husseinie College
MD-520.02.2025 (Thu)TBCAAlighar National School vs Darussalam College
20.02.2025 (Thu)TBCASt. Joseph’s College vs Kalutara Muslim Central College
MD-621.02.2025 (Fri)TBCBZahira College vs Hameed Al Husseinie College
21.02.2025 (Fri)TBCBAl Falah College vs St. Patrick’s College

Knockout Stage (Venue & Date TBC)

  • Semi-Final 1: Group A 1st place vs Group B 2nd place
  • Semi-Final 2: Group B 1st place vs Group A 2nd place
  • Final: Winners of Semi-Final 1 vs Winners of Semi-Final 2

Further details regarding match venues and times for the knockout stage will be announced later.

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