The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC SL), in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency and the Ministry of Sports, yesterday (15) launched the first official preparation initiative for Team Sri Lanka ahead of the 3rd Asian Youth Games (AYG) Bahrain 2025. The Anti-Doping and Safeguarding Workshop, held at the Duncan White Auditorium, Ministry of Sports, marked the commencement of the team’s build-up towards the prestigious continental event.
The program commenced with the preliminary introduction of the Team Officials of Team Sri Lanka for AYG 2025, followed by a series of expert-led sessions designed to prepare athletes for clean, fair, and safe competition. Mr. Chamath Srinika, Assistant Director of the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency, delivered an in-depth presentation on anti-doping, stressing the importance of integrity in sport and strict compliance with international regulations.
The Safeguarding segment was jointly conducted by Mrs. Niloo Jayatilake, Vice President of NOC SL and Chairperson of the Gender Equity Committee of NOC SL, along with Mr. Sivarajah Gobinath and Ms. Hiruni Munasinghe, IOC Certified Safeguarding Officers. They outlined key measures to ensure the welfare and protection of athletes. Mr. Gobinath also led a session on Prevention of Manipulation of Competitions (PMC), where he emphasized the importance of integrity in sport and raised awareness on the risks of approaches made to athletes or officials, encouraging them to report such incidents immediately.
The workshop was attended by prominent dignitaries, including NOC SL President Mr. Suresh Subramaniam; Secretary General Mr. Rifdy Fahmy; Chairman of the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency Mr. Lalisha Kahatapitiya; Director of the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency Dr. Shiromi Pilapitiya; Chef-de-Mission of Team Sri Lanka Rear Admiral Manjula Dissanayake; and medical officials of Team Sri Lanka Dr. Fariz Ahamed, Dr. K. A. P. Kiriella, and Ms. Awarjana De Silva, together with team officials and athletes.
The 3rd Asian Youth Games will be held in Bahrain from the 22nd to the 31st of October 2025, bringing together young athletes from across Asia to compete in a spirit of unity, fair play, and mutual respect.
