President instructs sports officials to plan for international athletes and a healthier population

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed officials of the Ministry of Sports to prepare plans to promote sports with the aim of producing athletes capable of achieving international success, fostering a sporting culture in the country and building a healthier population.

The President gave the instructions while taking part in a discussion on the 2027 Budget proposals for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, held at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (29).

The President said non-communicable diseases have become one of the major challenges facing the health sector and that sports could play a significant role in addressing this challenge. He emphasised the importance of changing public attitudes and encouraging greater participation in sports to promote active and healthy lifestyles.

He noted that walking paths have been constructed across the country, but that some areas have yet to achieve the intended benefits from these facilities. He highlighted the need to introduce new programmes to encourage the public to make greater use of them. Maintaining an accurate and up-to-date database of sports grounds, walking paths and indoor stadiums across the country, he pointed out, would facilitate the proper planning of these programmes.

New projects planned for 2027 also featured in the discussion, including the establishment of a National High Performance Centre to raise the performance of Sri Lankan athletes to international standards, the construction of a 400-metre synthetic running track in Anuradhapura, the completion of outstanding work and development of the Diyagama International Stadium, the upgrading of the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, and research on sports and exercise to be conducted jointly by sports medicine institutions and universities.

Progress and future plans relating to programmes implemented by the Youth Corps and the National Youth Services Council were also reviewed.

Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Dinindu Saman Hennayake, Chief of Staff to the President Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Dr Harshana Sooriyapperuma, Director General of the Department of Sports Development and Acting Secretary to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports S. Achchudan, Chairman and Director General of the National Youth Services Council, Attorney-at-Law Supun Wijerathne, Chairman of the National Youth Corps Nalin Radampola and officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports attended the meeting.