Sports Unite People Beyond Barriers and Differences – President

03-Sep-2025

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During the last presidential and parliamentary elections, the people of the north took a step forward with the National People’s Power, aiming to move the nation a thousand steps ahead. “We will not let go of the hands of the people until Sri Lanka is fully built,” President Anurakumara Dissanayake declared.

He made these remarks on 01-09-2025, while inaugurating the construction of the Jaffna International Cricket Stadium in Mandaitivu.

Under a long-term plan, Mandaitivu is to be transformed into a sports city with international facilities, including a swimming pool, indoor sports complex, luxury hotels, apartments, commercial centers, and recreational hubs.

The cricket stadium will be built in four phases. The first phase will establish the playing field and facilities for hosting matches, followed by the construction of the main grandstand and media center in the second phase, the remaining stands in the third, and the installation of floodlights in the final stage. Once complete, the stadium will accommodate about 40,000 spectators.

This will be Sri Lanka’s fifth international day/night stadium and the seventh capable of hosting international matches.

The President emphasized that cricket has brought Sri Lanka pride on the global stage, and sports in general have the power to unite people beyond all barriers and differences. He described the Jaffna stadium not just as a sporting venue but as an opportunity to build national unity.

He expressed his dream of forming a national cricket team representing Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim youth, cheered on by all communities in a spirit of togetherness. He expressed confidence that the first cricket match would be held in the stadium by the end of this year, with an international match within three years.

The event was attended by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumar Kamalke, Minister of Fisheries Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala, Deputy Minister of Sports Sugath Thilakaratne, Northern Province Governor Nagalingam Vethanayagam, Sri Lanka Cricket officials, MPs, and local school cricket players.