Sri Lanka President calls for sport to become part of daily life

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called for sport to become an integral part of people’s daily lives and the country’s culture.

He said a strong sporting culture could help address social problems such as the rising number of road accidents and the increasing involvement of young people in drug abuse. It would also help build a healthy, disciplined and responsible future generation, he added.

The President made these remarks during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo yesterday afternoon (July 23).

The meeting reviewed the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 Budget allocations for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Proposals for the 2027 Budget were also discussed.

President Dissanayake said sport should not be viewed only as a competitive activity, but as a way of life deeply rooted in society.

He stressed that sporting events should be organised not only to help athletes achieve success in competitions, but also to encourage wider public participation and develop a strong sporting culture throughout the country.

The President also highlighted the importance of identifying talented athletes, providing them with systematic training and world-class facilities, and preparing them to compete successfully at the 2028 Olympic Games.

He said Sri Lanka needs a generation of athletes capable of competing and succeeding at the international level.

To achieve this, the country requires highly skilled coaches with the knowledge and expertise needed to develop elite athletes, he said.

The President instructed officials to prepare a comprehensive plan to strengthen Sri Lanka’s coaching capacity. He said such a programme was essential to raise Sri Lankan sport to international standards.

The meeting included a detailed review of projects implemented during 2026. Officials also discussed the plans, priorities and funding requirements of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and its affiliated institutions for 2027.

The institutions included the Department of Sports Development, the Sports Medicine Institute, the National Institute of Sports Science, the Sugathadasa National Sports Complex Authority, the Anti-Doping Agency, the National Youth Corps, the National Youth Services Council and the National Centre for Leadership Development.

The progress and future plans of several major infrastructure projects under the Ministry were also reviewed.

These included the construction of the Mannar District Sports Complex, the Kilinochchi District Sports Complex and the Kalmunai Sandangani Stadium.

The refurbishment of the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium and the Diyagama International Sports Complex was also discussed.

The President reviewed the progress of the proposed High Performance Centre, which is expected to be equipped with modern technology and advanced training facilities.

The centre is intended to improve the performance of Sri Lankan athletes and strengthen the country’s ability to compete internationally.

The discussion was attended by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Dinidu Saman Hennayake, Deputy Minister of Sports Sugath Thilakaratne and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Nishantha Jayaweera.

Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Chief of Staff to the President Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Senior Additional Secretaries to the President Russell Aponsu and Kapila Janaka Bandara, and Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma also attended.

Senior officials from the Ministries of Finance and Youth Affairs and Sports were also present.