BMICH, COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, February 25, 2026 – 25th February 2026 the stage was prepared for a star-studded evening; Sri Lanka’s first and only annual sports awards ceremony, the “SILK Sports Awards” at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Colombo. SPORTSINFO; Sri Lanka’s No.1 sports promotion network together with Institute of Sports Management (IOSM) put on a grandeur show to conclude Sri Lanka’s first and foremost sports awards ceremony, SILK Sports Awards for the 10th consecutive year; this awards night was indeed a glam and was called – SILK Sports Awards 2024. The Chief Guest for the occasion was the Honourable Mr. Dilith Jayaweera, Member of Parliament of Sri Lanka.

The idea of an awards ceremony of this calibre was initiated so that the true sporting legends and heroes and other contributors who uplift the sporting industry to be recognised and awarded for their efforts and contributions. The SILK Sports Awards initiative has grown over the years and has become a concept that has touched millions of Sri Lankans hearts; by doing so remind them of who lifts up the sporting industry for us to be proud and gives the opportunity to rant on about its glory.

SILK Sports Awards is a complex yet comprehensive awards night picking these wonderful and amazing individuals who are committed to achieve greatness from myriad categories and award them for their rightful claim amidst the glitz, glamour in full celebration.

From inception in 2015 to perform this strenuous and responsible task of selection and awarding SILK Sports Awards organising committee appoints an impartial jury that works hand in hand to assure that the selection process which is carried out by a nomination panel voting process is performed to absolute perfection.

The distinguished Jury panel for the 10th SILK Sports Awards 2025 were Co-Chairs, Former Director General of Sports, Prof. Rear Admiral Shemal Fernando and Dr. Harsha Abeykoon, and its members were the Director Sports of Ministry of Education Upali Amarathunga, Ana Punchihewa, Gamini Jayasinghe, Dr. Seevali Jayawickrema, Chandana Ekanayake, Rtd. General Rohana Bandara and Brendon Kuruppu.

These awards are presented to the top sportsmen and women and other contributors who are at the top of the selected category in Sri Lanka.

Apart from the major awards, SILK Awards are awarded for sports excellence, sports contribution and as special jury awards, these awards are awarded for selected sportsmen, women and other personalities from the industry in general who have contributed or partaken in a way that is above and beyond. This could either by excelling or contributing either locally or internationally.

SILK Sports Awards now has been recognised internationally with certification of recognition provided by the International Olympic Committee. Therefore, SILK now has created a special jury awards category for international sportsmen, women and organizations who have made a difference in the industry.

The 10th SILK Sports Awards winners were selected by the performances and contributions based on the year 2025.

The full list of winners is:

MAJOR SILK AWARDS – 8

1. SILK LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – CHANDRA SCHAFFTER
2. DUNCAN WHITE SILK AWARD FOR SPORTS EXCELLENCE & CONTRIBUTION – DINESH CHANDIMAL
3. RANATUNGA KARUNANANDA SILK AWARD FOR SPORTS INSPIRATION – RUMESH THARANGA
4. YOGANANDA WIJESUNDARA SILK AWARD FOR SPORTS MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION – ROHAN DE SILVA
5. LIONEL MENDIS SILK AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COACHING & GUIDANCE – SURANGA KUMARA
6. BERNIE WIJESEKERA SILK AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SPORTS JOURNALISM – NAMAL PATHIRAGE
7. SILK AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MALE – PATHUM NISSANKA
8. SILK AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – FEMALE – NADEESHA LEKAMGE

SILK SPECIAL JURY AWARDS – INTERNATIONAL (2)

1. SILK AWARD FOR THE MOST OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PROMOTE OLYMPIC VALUES THROUGH CULTURE – PROFESSOR FRANCO ASCANI
2. SILK AWARD FOR THE MOST OUTSTANDING & INSPIRING INTERNATIONAL SPORTS PERSONALITY – KIRSTY COVENTRY – IOC PRESIDENT

SILK SPECIAL JURY AWARDS – LOCAL (08)

1. SILK JURY AWARD FOR THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS MADE AS THE FIRST DIRECTOR GENERAL OF SPORTS IN SRI LANKA – MILTON AMARASINGHE
2. SILK AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION TO PROMOTE SPORTS IN SRI LANKA – DIAN GOMES
3. SILK AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SPORTS EDUCATION – DEPARTMENT OF SPORT SCIENCE & PHYSICAL EDUCATION – UNIVERSITY OF KELANIYA
4. SILK AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING LOCAL SPORTS BRAND OF THE YEAR – MERCANTILE CRICKET ASSOCIATION
5. SILK AWARD FOR MOST TALENTED SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR – SHAFIYA YAMICK
6. SILK AWARD FOR MOST INFLUENTIAL COACH OF THE YEAR – S. P. VITHANA
7. SILK AWARD FOR THE MOST OUTSTANDING SRI LANKAN REPRESENTATION FOR AN INTERNATIONAL SPORTING BODY – SHAMMI SILVA
8. SILK AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING SRI LANKAN REPRESENTATION FOR AN INTERNATIONAL SPORTING EVENT – YEVAN DAVID

Thilan Rangana, Chairman of the SPORTSINFO, said: “Tonight is not just another ceremony; it is a historic milestone. Ten years ago, the team at SPORTSINFO set out with a singular, passionate vision: to ensure that the sweat, tears, and triumphs of our athletes never go unnoticed. We wanted to create a platform that unites every discipline, every field, and every track under one roof.

Today, I stand before you, filled with immense pride, to celebrate a decade of realizing that vision. We are incredibly honored to host Sri Lanka’s first and only annual national all-sports awards. Ten years of recognizing not just the medals, but the unyielding human spirit behind them.
You are the heartbeat of this nation…!
When you win, Sri Lanka wins. When you face defeat and choose to rise again, you teach us resilience. We know that behind every moment of glory, there are thousands of early mornings, grueling training sessions, and sacrifices that the cameras never capture. The SILK Sports Awards exist for you. We have always believed that we must appreciate the incredible talent we have today, while it is shining brightest. Tonight is about giving you the profound respect, the spotlight, and the gratitude you have rightfully earned.
Of course, a legacy of ten years is never built alone. I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to the pillars who make this night possible:
To our Sponsors and Partners: Thank you for believing in the power of Sri Lankan sports. Your unwavering support brings the glitz and glamour to this stage.
To our Distinguished Jury Panel: Thank you for taking on the incredibly difficult task of selecting tonight’s winners from a pool of absolute excellence. Your integrity gives these awards their weight.
To the SPORTSINFO Team: My heartfelt thanks. Your dedication, sleepless nights, and tireless hard work behind the scenes are the engine that drives the SILK Awards forward year after year.
As we look back at the past decade, we are inspired. As we look forward to the future, we are excited. Sri Lanka is brimming with untapped potential, and SPORTSINFO will remain committed to uplifting, celebrating, and echoing the achievements of our sports heroes for many more years to come
I’m delighted that we are again able to celebrate the best of sport through so many amazing sportsmen and sportswomen in the SILK Sports Awards.
Our theme ” We should appreciate what we have, before it becomes what we missed” already worked by becoming the Sri Lanka’s only sports awards for all sports to recognize the true heroes of sports. “
The SILK Awards showcases the work of SPORTSINFO, which uses the transparency of sport to appreciate the sports excellence and contribution of people to promote sports.”

The SILK Awards showcases the work of SPORTSINFO, which uses the transparency of sport to appreciate the sports excellence and contribution of people to promote sports.