Cash prizes doubled for the winners of the National Sports Festival – Hon. Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage

The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Hon. Sunil Kumara Gamage, announced that steps have been taken to significantly increase the cash prizes awarded to the winning athletes of the National Sports Festival. The Minister noted that this year marks the historic 50th National Sports Festival, and extensive plans are underway to host it on a grand scale in December at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Diyagama.

Accordingly, the Minister stated that the Cross Country running championship of the National Sports Festival will be held on June 6th in Nuwara Eliya.

The Minister expressed these views during a special press briefing held today (02nd) at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage further highlighted that the prize money for the winning athletes has been substantially enhanced to appreciate their dedication. Consequently, the cash prize of LKR 15,000 previously awarded to first-place winners has been doubled to LKR 30,000. 💰✨

The Minister mentioned that the national-level events are scheduled to take place after concluding the preliminary divisional and district-level competitions.

He also emphasized that the National Sports Festival features 32 Olympic sports, and the ultimate vision is to transition and elevate the winners of this festival onto the international sporting arena.

The Minister added that the entire framework of the sports festival is structured to provide clear pathways for athletes to rise from the grassroots to the national level. He concluded by saying that identifying talented athletes from rural areas and offering them global opportunities remains a core objective of the current government.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mr. Aruna Bandara, and the Director of the Department of Sports Development, Mr. I.P. Wijeratne, were also present at this press briefing.