Sri Lanka Army crowned champions at 13th Defence Services Games

The 13th Defence Services Games 2024/2025 concluded successfully with a colourful closing ceremony at the Army Cantonment in Panagoda on 12 January 2026, where the Sri Lanka Army emerged overall champions and the Sri Lanka Air Force finished as runners-up.

The closing ceremony was conducted in a dignified manner with the participation of Tri Forces Commanders, senior officers, and a large number of athletes from the three services. Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) attended as the Chief Guest.

In his address, the Deputy Minister paid tribute to the war heroes whose sacrifices brought peace and unity to the nation. He stated that their service made it possible for the Armed Forces to perform strongly not only in national defence but also in sports. He also highlighted that many of Sri Lanka’s medal winners at regional and international competitions come from the Armed Forces.

The Deputy Minister further stressed the need for structured training and continued support for service athletes. He said that winning medals at the 2028 Olympic Games should be a shared national goal and called for developing military athletes to international standards.

More than 4,000 sportsmen and sportswomen from the tri services took part in 39 sporting events during the Games. The closing ceremony organised by the Sri Lanka Army recognised the outstanding talent, discipline, and sportsmanship shown by participants throughout the competition.

Following tradition, the Defence Services Games Flag was formally handed over by the Commander of the Army to the Deputy Minister of Defence and then to the Commander of the Navy.

This confirmed that the Sri Lanka Navy will organise the next Defence Services Games in 2026/2027. The 13th Defence Services Games were then officially declared closed.