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.
Cricket
Hyderabad Kingsmen Eye Maheesh Theekshana as Baartman’s Replacement
Hyderabad Kingsmen, one of the two debutant franchises in the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) season, are exploring options to fill the void left by South African pacer Ottniel Baartman. The 11th edition of the PSL is set to run from March 26 to May 3.
According to sources, the Kingsmen have approached Sri Lankan mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana to join their squad. His availability, however, hinges on securing a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

Baartman, who was picked during the historic inaugural PSL auction at Lahore’s Expo Centre on February 11 for PKR 1.1 crore, has withdrawn from the tournament. Neither the player nor the franchise has disclosed the reason for his absence.
Theekshana, meanwhile, offers proven pedigree in the shortest format. The 23-year-old has already represented Sri Lanka in 83 T20Is, bagging 82 wickets at an economy rate of 7.08. His franchise résumé is equally impressive, with stints in the IPL, SA20, ILT20, CPL, and LPL, making him a sought-after asset in global T20 leagues.
The PSL’s landmark 11th edition will feature eight teams, including new entrants Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindi, battling across 44 matches in 39 days. In a significant shift, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has streamlined the tournament logistics, announcing that all fixtures will be staged in Karachi and Lahore behind closed doors.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the revised plans after consultations with franchise owners and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Patron-in-Chief of the league. Initially, six cities—Multan, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore—were under consideration as hosts, but the board opted for consolidation to ensure smooth operations.
With Baartman’s exit and Theekshana’s potential arrival, Hyderabad Kingsmen’s debut campaign promises intrigue, as the franchise looks to make its mark in Pakistan’s premier T20 competition.
Cricket
Rajasthan Royals Rope In Dasun Shanaka as Sam Curran’s Replacement for IPL 2026
Rajasthan Royals have confirmed Sri Lankan T20I skipper Dasun Shanaka as the replacement for England’s Sam Curran, who has been ruled out of the upcoming IPL season due to injury.
“We are disappointed to lose a player of Sam’s calibre so close to the start of the season,” said Kumar Sangakkara, Director of Cricket and Head Coach of the Royals. “Sam brings immense value with both bat and ball. However, we are pleased to have found an ideal replacement in Dasun Shanaka, a proven finisher and quality all-rounder who maintains the balance of our side.”
Shanaka, 34, is a seasoned campaigner in the shortest format. Since his debut in 2015, he has featured in 131 T20Is for Sri Lanka, amassing 1,912 runs at a strike rate of 128.40. His highest score, an unbeaten 76 against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, underlined his ability to deliver under pressure. With the ball, the right-arm medium pacer has claimed 46 wickets, boasting best figures of 3/16.
The Sri Lankan captain also brings prior IPL experience, having represented Gujarat Titans in 2023. His inclusion is expected to bolster Rajasthan’s lower-middle order and provide valuable depth in both departments.
Rajasthan Royals will kick off their campaign against Chennai Super Kings at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on March 30.
Cricket
Kingswood College ends 68-year wait with historic victory
Kingswood College, Kandy, ended a 68-year wait with a historic triumph at the 119th Battle of the Maroons, defeating Dharmaraja College by 148 runs.
It was their first victory in the annual ‘Big Match’ since 1958, a moment that will be remembered as one of the school’s greatest cricketing achievements.
Kingswood set the tone with a first-innings total of 226 before dismissing Dharmaraja for 160 to secure a 66-run lead. In the second innings, a bold declaration at 248/4 left the Rajans chasing a steep target. The pressure proved too much, and Dharmaraja collapsed for 166, sealing Kingswood’s emphatic win.
The dominant performance brought the T.B. Tennakoon Trophy back to Randles Hill, ending nearly seven decades of anticipation and marking a new chapter in Kingswood’s cricketing legacy.
-
Football1 year agoSri Lanka Schools National Championship 2025: Super 8 Fixtures and Grouping
-
News1 year ago2025 Schools Rugby Season Set to Thrill Fans with Knockout and League Action
-
Cricket10 months agoNuwan Thushara Shines as RCB Storms into IPL 2025 Final
-
Live4 years agoLive Broadcast of Syria vs Sri Lanka | AFC U23 Asian Championship Qualification
-
Cricket1 year agoSri Lanka’s Greatest Cricketers: Top Batters and Bowlers of All Time
-
News10 months agoMajor Shake-Up in Sports Governance: New 2025 Regulations Reform National Sports Bodies in Sri Lanka
-
Football1 year agoFFSL Rebrands Division-1 as ‘League-One’ with a Bold New Vision
-
Football11 months agoSri Lanka Announces U19 Football Squad for SAFF Championship 2025


