News
World Rugby Suspends Sri Lanka Rugby

The World Rugby (WR) Council met on 11 May and considered the ongoing membership of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR). Subsequent to the meeting, by letter dated 17 May 2023 addressed to Hasan Sinhawansa, Executive Director of Sri Lanka Rugby, World Rugby (WR) has advised they have decided to suspend the membership of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR). The suspension effectively means Sri Lanka will be unable to take part in any tournament outside the country.
The Minister of Sports reinstated SLR as a sports federation in Sri Lanka under the temporary operational control of a Stabilization Committee recently. However, World Rugby considers the action contrary to the bye-laws of World Rugby.
World Rugby Council considered a recommendation of the executive board and accepted the proposal to suspend SLR following the bye-laws relating to political interference.
WR agreed that they and Asia Rugby would work with all stakeholders to ensure the least possible disruption to rugby in Sri Lanka. The priority of WR is to work with all stakeholders to resolve ongoing governance issues urgently.
Previously, the Secretary to the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL), by letter dated 3 May 2023 addressed to the Chairman of World Rugby, advised that they recognize only the duly elected committee headed by Rizly Illyas.
Furthermore, the letter stated that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA) does not recognize the appointment of the Stabilization Committee or other interim arrangement made by the Sports Ministry in terms of the Sports Law. NOCSL stated they identify only the duly elected committee of the Sports Federation according to the constitution approved by World Rugby.
Earlier in January, Sri Lankan football fans also had a rude shock when news broke that the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) had been suspended by the international football governing body FIFA until further notice due to third-party interference.
ලෝක රග්බි ශ්රී ලංකා රග්බි ක්රීඩාව අත්හිටුවයි
ලෝක රග්බි (WR) කවුන්සිලය මැයි 11 දින රැස් වූ අතර ශ්රී ලංකා රග්බි (SLR) හි දැනට පවතින සාමාජිකත්වය පිළිබඳව සලකා බලන ලදී. රැස්වීමෙන් අනතුරුව, ශ්රී ලංකා රග්බි, ලෝක රග්බි (WR) හි විධායක අධ්යක්ෂ හසන් සිංහවංශ වෙත 2023 මැයි 17 දිනැති ලිපියක් මගින් ශ්රී ලංකා රග්බි (SLR) සාමාජිකත්වය අත්හිටුවීමට තීරණය කර ඇති බව උපදෙස් දී ඇත. මෙම තහනම හේතුවෙන් ශ්රී ලංකාවට රටින් පිටත කිසිදු තරඟාවලියකට සහභාගී වීමට නොහැකි වනු ඇත.
ස්ථායීකරණ කමිටුවක තාවකාලික මෙහෙයුම් පාලනය යටතේ ක්රීඩා අමාත්යවරයා විසින් ශ්රී ලංකාවේ ක්රීඩා සම්මේලනයක් ලෙස SLR නැවත ස්ථාපිත කරන ලදී. කෙසේ වෙතත්, ලෝක රග්බි ක්රියාව ලෝක රග්බි ක්රීඩාවේ අතුරු නීතිවලට පටහැනි බව සලකයි.
ලෝක රග්බි කවුන්සිලය විධායක මණ්ඩලයේ නිර්දේශයක් සලකා බැලූ අතර දේශපාලන ඇඟිලි ගැසීම් සම්බන්ධ අතුරු නීති අනුගමනය කරමින් SLR අත්හිටුවීමේ යෝජනාව පිළිගත්තේය.
ශ්රී ලංකාවේ රග්බි ක්රීඩාවට සිදුවිය හැකි අවම බාධාව සහතික කිරීම සඳහා ඔවුන් සහ ඒෂියා රග්බි සියලු පාර්ශවකරුවන් සමඟ කටයුතු කරන බවට WR එකඟ විය. WR හි ප්රමුඛතාවය වන්නේ දැනට පවතින පාලන ගැටළු කඩිනමින් විසඳීම සඳහා සියලුම පාර්ශවකරුවන් සමඟ කටයුතු කිරීමයි.
මීට පෙර, ශ්රී ලංකා ජාතික ඔලිම්පික් කමිටුවේ (NOCSL) ලේකම් විසින් 2023 මැයි 3 දිනැති ලිපියක් මගින් ලෝක රග්බි සභාපතිවරයාට යවන ලද ලිපියක් මගින් උපදෙස් දුන්නේ රිස්ලි ඉල්ලියාස්ගේ ප්රධානත්වයෙන් යුත් නිසි පරිදි තේරී පත් වූ කමිටුව පමණක් පිළිගන්නා ලෙසයි.
තවද, ජාත්යන්තර ඔලිම්පික් කමිටුව (IOC) සහ ආසියානු ඔලිම්පික් කමිටුව (OCA) ස්ථායීකරණ කමිටුව පත් කිරීම හෝ ක්රීඩා නීතියට අනුව ක්රීඩා අමාත්යාංශය විසින් කරන ලද වෙනත් අතුරු වැඩපිළිවෙලක් පිළි නොගන්නා බව එම ලිපියේ සඳහන් වේ. NOCSL ප්රකාශ කළේ ලෝක රග්බි විසින් අනුමත කරන ලද ව්යවස්ථාවට අනුව ක්රීඩා සම්මේලනයේ නිසි පරිදි තේරී පත් වූ කමිටුව පමණක් ඔවුන් හඳුනා ගන්නා බවයි.
ජනවාරි මස මුලදී, ශ්රී ලංකා පාපන්දු සම්මේලනය (FFSL) තුන්වන පාර්ශ්වයේ මැදිහත්වීම් හේතුවෙන් නැවත දැනුම් දෙන තුරු ජාත්යන්තර පාපන්දු පාලක මණ්ඩලය වන FIFA විසින් අත්හිටුවා ඇති බවට ප්රවෘත්ති පළ වූ විට ශ්රී ලංකා පාපන්දු ලෝලීන් ද දැඩි කම්පනයකට පත් විය.
உலக ரக்பி இலங்கை ரக்பியை இடைநிருத்தியது
உலக ரக்பி (WR) கவுன்சில் மே 11 அன்று கூடியது மற்றும் இலங்கை ரக்பியின் (SLR) தற்போதைய உறுப்பினர் குறித்து பரிசீலித்தது. கூட்டத்திற்குப் பிறகு, 2023 மே 17 தேதியிட்ட கடிதம் மூலம், இலங்கை ரக்பி, வேர்ல்ட் ரக்பியின் (WR) நிறைவேற்றுப் பணிப்பாளர் ஹசன் சின்ஹவன்ச, இலங்கை ரக்பியின் (SLR) அங்கத்துவத்தை இடைநிறுத்தத் தீர்மானித்துள்ளதாக அறிவுறுத்தியுள்ளார். இந்த இடைநிறுத்தம் இலங்கையால் நாட்டிற்கு வெளியே எந்தவொரு போட்டியிலும் பங்கேற்க முடியாது.
விளையாட்டு அமைச்சர் SLR ஐ இலங்கையில் விளையாட்டுக் கூட்டமைப்பாக மீண்டும் நிலைப்படுத்துதல் குழுவின் தற்காலிக செயல்பாட்டுக் கட்டுப்பாட்டின் கீழ் மீண்டும் நிறுவினார். இருப்பினும், உலக ரக்பியின் துணை விதிகளுக்கு முரணான செயலை உலக ரக்பி கருதுகிறது.
உலக ரக்பி கவுன்சில் நிர்வாகக் குழுவின் பரிந்துரையைப் பரிசீலித்தது மற்றும் அரசியல் தலையீடு தொடர்பான துணைச் சட்டங்களைப் பின்பற்றி SLR ஐ இடைநிறுத்துவதற்கான முன்மொழிவை ஏற்றுக்கொண்டது.
இலங்கையில் றக்பிக்கு குறைந்த பட்ச இடையூறு ஏற்படுவதை உறுதி செய்வதற்காக தாங்களும் Asia Rugbyயும் அனைத்து பங்குதாரர்களுடனும் இணைந்து செயல்படுவதாக WR ஒப்புக்கொண்டது. WR இன் முன்னுரிமை, தற்போதைய நிர்வாகச் சிக்கல்களை அவசரமாகத் தீர்க்க அனைத்து பங்குதாரர்களுடனும் இணைந்து பணியாற்றுவதாகும்.
முன்னதாக, இலங்கை தேசிய ஒலிம்பிக் குழுவின் செயலாளர் (NOCSL), உலக ரக்பியின் தலைவருக்கு 3 மே 2023 தேதியிட்ட கடிதம் மூலம், ரிஸ்லி இல்யாஸ் தலைமையிலான முறையாக தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட குழுவை மட்டுமே அங்கீகரிக்க வேண்டும் என்று அறிவுறுத்தினார்.
மேலும், சர்வதேச ஒலிம்பிக் கமிட்டி (ஐஓசி) மற்றும் ஆசிய ஒலிம்பிக் கமிட்டி (ஓசிஏ) ஆகியவை விளையாட்டு சட்டத்தின் அடிப்படையில் விளையாட்டு அமைச்சகத்தால் செய்யப்பட்ட ஸ்திரப்படுத்தல் குழு அல்லது பிற இடைக்கால ஏற்பாட்டின் நியமனத்தை அங்கீகரிக்கவில்லை என்று கடிதத்தில் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது. உலக ரக்பியால் அங்கீகரிக்கப்பட்ட அரசியலமைப்பின்படி விளையாட்டுக் கூட்டமைப்பிற்கு முறையாகத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட குழுவை மட்டுமே அவர்கள் அடையாளம் காட்டுவதாக NOCSL கூறியது.
ஜனவரியில், மூன்றாம் தரப்பினரின் குறுக்கீடு காரணமாக, இலங்கை கால்பந்து சம்மேளனம் (FFSL) சர்வதேச கால்பந்து நிர்வாக அமைப்பான FIFAவினால் மறு அறிவிப்பு வரும் வரை இடைநிறுத்தப்பட்டதாக செய்தி வெளியானபோது, இலங்கை கால்பந்து ரசிகர்களும் ஒரு முரட்டுத்தனமான அதிர்ச்சியை அடைந்தனர்.
Athletics
Three Sri Lankan Athletes Qualify for World Athletics Indoor Championships 2025
Colombo: In a historic achievement for Sri Lankan athletics, three national athletes have officially qualified for the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2025, set to take place from May 21 to 23 in Nanjing, China. This marks Sri Lanka’s largest representation at the prestigious event in over two decades.
Sri Lankan Athletes Heading to Nanjing 2025
The three Sri Lankan athletes who secured their spots based on performances and world rankings are:
- Chamod Yodasinghe – 60m Sprint
- Kalinga Kumarage – 400m
- Kaveesha Bandara – 60m Hurdles
Their qualification comes after impressive performances at the inaugural National Short Course Championship, highlighting Sri Lanka’s growing potential in indoor athletics.
A Historic Moment for Sri Lanka
The last time Sri Lanka sent a team to the World Athletics Indoor Championships was in 2001 (Lisbon), where four athletes represented the nation. This latest qualification marks the largest contingent in over 20 years, showcasing significant progress despite limited indoor competition opportunities in Sri Lanka.
With preparations underway, these athletes will aim to make an impact on the global stage and elevate Sri Lanka’s presence in international athletics.
Stay tuned for more updates on Sri Lanka’s journey to Nanjing 2025!
News
Chinese Government Pledges Support for Sri Lanka’s Sports and Youth Development
Colombo: In a significant move towards strengthening sports and youth development in Sri Lanka, Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong met with Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumar Gamage, and Deputy Minister Eranga Gunasekara today (26) at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
During the meeting, Ambassador Qi Zhenhong congratulated the newly appointed ministers and reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s sports and youth programs. Discussions centered on enhancing bilateral cooperation and exploring actionable initiatives to uplift sports development in the country.
A key highlight of the discussions was China’s willingness to promote sports such as Tai Chi and Dragon Boat Racing in Sri Lanka. This initiative aligns with the broader vision of fostering international sports collaboration and expanding the sporting culture within the country.
This renewed partnership marks an important step in Sri Lanka’s sports development, paving the way for future investments and technical support to enhance local sporting infrastructure and training programs.
Stay tuned for more updates on this collaboration and its impact on Sri Lankan sports!
Football
Sri Lanka to Host the Prestigious 2025 SAFF Championship After 17 Years
Colombo: Sri Lanka has officially been granted the hosting rights for the 2025 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, set to take place in June 2025. The decision marks a historic moment for Sri Lankan football, as the nation last hosted the tournament in 2008 alongside the Maldives.
The SAFF Championship is widely regarded as the “World Cup of South Asia,” bringing together the best footballing nations from the region. The 2025 edition will feature seven teams:
- India (Defending champions and most successful team)
- Pakistan
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Maldives
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka (Host nation)
With the backing of home supporters, Sri Lanka will look to capitalize on this opportunity and aim for a deep run in the competition.
SAFF Championship: A Look at Past Editions and Winners
The SAFF Championship, first held in 1993, has seen 14 editions so far. India has been the most dominant team in the tournament’s history, winning a record 9 titles. The Maldives and Bangladesh have each won the tournament twice, while Sri Lanka claimed their only title in 1995, when they hosted the event in Colombo.
Here is a look at the past winners:
- India – 9 titles (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023)
- Maldives – 2 titles (2008, 2018)
- Bangladesh – 2 titles (2003, 2023)
- Sri Lanka – 1 title (1995)
Sri Lanka’s return as the host nation in 2025 gives them a golden opportunity to reclaim the championship after 30 years.
If executed well, the 2025 SAFF Championship could mark the beginning of a new era for Sri Lankan football, helping the nation rise again in South Asian football.
Can Sri Lanka make the most of this historic opportunity? The countdown to SAFF 2025 begins!
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