The National Sports Council has been newly appointed under the provisions of the 1973 Sports Act No. 25, with the objective of advising the Minister of Sports on the development, management, and promotion of sports in Sri Lanka. The appointment was officially made today (14) by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage, at the Ministry premises.
New Leadership and Key Appointments
- Chairman: Priyantha Ekanayake – Former Sri Lanka Rugby captain and a distinguished international rugby player who played in New Zealand and Wales.
- Members:
- Samantha Nanayakkara – Professor of Sports Studies at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s first professor in the field, and a former basketball player.
- Rukman Wekadapola – International boxing advisor, referee, and university lecturer.
- Siddath Wettimuny – Former Sri Lanka Test and ODI cricketer (1982-1987).
- Chanaka Jayamaha – Supreme Court lawyer and a non-executive independent director at Colombo Dockyard PLC.
- Rohan Abeykoon – Former Sri Lanka Rugby player and ex-chairman of the national rugby selection committee.
- Niroshan Wijekoon – Sri Lanka’s first-ever badminton Olympian and former national coach.
- Murad Ismail – Former Secretary of the Sri Lanka Table Tennis Federation and a former golf selection committee member.
- Roshan Mahanama – Former Sri Lanka cricketer and a key member of the 1996 Cricket World Cup-winning team. He was also an ICC match referee and national selector.
- C. Ratnamudali – Senior lecturer at the University of Moratuwa and expert in sports education and regulations.
- Sriyani Kulawansa – Former Olympic athlete, who won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games and a bronze medal at the Asian Games. She still holds the South Asian Games record for the hurdles event.
- Malik J. Fernando – Co-chairman of Dilmah Private Ltd.
- Shanitha Fernando – Former CR & FC Rugby captain and national team player from 1994-1998.
The appointment letters were handed over by Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, with Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, Eranga Gunasekara, also present at the occasion. The newly appointed National Sports Council is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the future of sports in Sri Lanka.
