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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The position of Honorary Assistant Treasurer remained vacant due to the nomination being withdrawn, and an appointment will be made in due course, as per Article 7 (I) of the SLC constitution.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
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
News
Sri Lanka Set to Face UAE in Crucial Rugby Clash Tomorrow in Colombo
The Sri Lanka national rugby team will lock horns with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a much-anticipated international rugby encounter set to take place today (July 4) at the iconic Racecourse Ground, Colombo.
As part of their final preparations, the Sri Lankan team held an intensive training session today under the watchful eyes of the coaching staff. The team looked sharp, focused, and ready to bring their A-game to home soil.
This clash promises to be a key test for the Tuskers as they look to strengthen their footing in the regional rugby scene and gain momentum ahead of upcoming international competitions. UAE, a rising force in Asian rugby, will also be eyeing a big performance away from home.
Both teams are expected to field strong lineups, and the match is anticipated to draw significant interest from local fans eager to witness top-tier rugby action.
📍 Match Info
🗓️ Date: July 4, 2025
📍 Venue: Racecourse Rugby Grounds, Colombo
🕒 Kick-off: TBA
Stay tuned for live updates, photos, and post-match coverage on Sri Lankan Sports TV.
Football
Sri Lanka Women Crushed 8-0 by Nepal in AFC Qualifiers – Tactical Collapse Raises Alarm
Colombo, July 2 – Sri Lanka Women’s National Football Team suffered another brutal defeat in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, going down 8-0 to a confident and clinical Nepalese side. Coming just days after a 10-0 hammering by Uzbekistan, this latest loss highlights deeper tactical, technical, and structural issues within Sri Lanka’s women’s football system.
Full-Time Score: Sri Lanka 0 – 8 Nepal
Half-Time: 0 – 4
Venue: Group F – AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers
Key Match Statistics
Stat | Sri Lanka Women | Nepal Women |
---|---|---|
Possession | 50% | 50% |
Total Shots | 4 | 26 |
Shots on Target | 3 | 18 |
Shots off Target | 1 | 8 |
Expected Goals (xG) | 0.60 | 3.76 |
Corners | 0 | 14 |
Fouls | 4 | 6 |
Cards | 0 | 0 |
Offsides | 0 | 3 |
Tactical Breakdown – Why Sri Lanka Lost 8-0
Despite the possession being even at 50%, Sri Lanka was thoroughly outplayed. This is a classic case where possession stats mislead the reality on the pitch.
1. Poor Defensive Organization
- Sri Lanka conceded 14 corners and 18 shots on target, indicating that Nepal constantly penetrated both flanks and delivered into the box unchallenged.
- There was no compact defensive line, and Nepal exploited space behind Sri Lanka’s fullbacks repeatedly.
2. Ineffective Midfield Structure
- While Sri Lanka held possession equally, it was largely passive and in non-threatening zones.
- Nepal, on the other hand, converted their possession into 3.76 xG, showing how effective and vertical their transitions were.
3. Repeated Failures in Closing Down Key Players
- Sabitra Bhandari scored a hat-trick within 26 minutes (14’, 36’, 40’) and was left unmarked multiple times.
- Nepal’s attackers were given space and time to shoot – evident from the 18 shots on target.
4. No Offensive Threat
- Sri Lanka managed only 4 shots in the entire game, with an xG of just 0.60.
- With no corners and no real pressing, the team offered nothing going forward, allowing Nepal to push numbers up comfortably.
Back-to-Back Heavy Losses: Structural Failures Exposed
This defeat comes after a 10-0 loss to Uzbekistan, meaning Sri Lanka has now conceded 18 goals in two matches without scoring once.
This isn’t just a reflection of players’ on-field performance — it’s a glaring indictment of:
- FFSL’s failure to conduct any women’s football league in years
- A rushed team selection based on a short trial, without competitive match practice
- No structured coaching program or international exposure
- Lack of scouting, fitness programs, and tactical planning
Nepal, though not an Asian powerhouse, had better coaching structure, player chemistry, and clear tactics, which led to their dominance.
What’s Next for Sri Lanka?
If the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) and the Ministry of Sports continue to ignore these warning signs, Sri Lanka risks becoming irrelevant in women’s football on the Asian stage.
What’s needed:
- ✅ A proper national women’s league
- ✅ Regular youth-level competitions and scouting
- ✅ Appointing qualified coaching staff with modern tactical knowledge
- ✅ Consistent international exposure for players
Conclusion
An 8-0 defeat to Nepal isn’t just a bad result — it’s a mirror held up to a broken system. Unless real change is implemented beyond symbolic participation, these results will become Sri Lanka’s norm in women’s football.
News
Top International Referees to Officiate High-Profile Dialog Schools Rugby Matches in Sri Lanka
Colombo – In a significant boost for school-level rugby in Sri Lanka, two internationally renowned referees from Hong Kong have been appointed to officiate key Dialog Schools A Division Rugby League matches this weekend.
Sunny Lee to Referee Pathana–Thomian Clash
Sunny Lee, a celebrated female international rugby referee from Hong Kong, will take charge of the much-anticipated encounter between S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia and Isipathana College, Colombo. The prestigious Rizvy Suhayb Memorial Trophy match is set for July 5 at S. Thomas’ College Grounds, Mount Lavinia.
Lee’s presence is expected to bring elite-level officiating standards to this traditional rivalry, enhancing the competitive environment and offering student-athletes a platform to perform under world-class match management.
Francisco Cammisa to Oversee Trinity vs Royal Clash
On the same day in Kandy, another experienced Hong Kong referee, Francisco Cammisa, will officiate the top-tier fixture between Trinity College, Kandy and Royal College, Colombo at the Pallekele Rugby Stadium.
International Support for Local Rugby
The arrival of these elite foreign referees is made possible through the efforts of Dilroy Fernando, former international referee and referee educator. With backing from Asian Rugby (covering airfares) and the host schools (providing accommodation and hospitality), this initiative aims to uplift officiating standards and offer young Sri Lankan players the opportunity to compete at a globally recognized level.
Long-Term Impact on School Rugby
This strategic move is expected to:
- Enhance the quality and fairness of officiating in the Dialog Schools Rugby League
- Give emerging players exposure to world-class rugby conditions
- Strengthen partnerships between Sri Lankan rugby institutions and international bodies
The involvement of international referees like Sunny Lee and Francisco Cammisa also sends a strong message about gender inclusivity and professional standards in the sport
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