A capacity-building workshop for sports journalists, organized by the Communication and Media Unit of the University of Kelaniya in collaboration with the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, was held on August 19, 2025, at the Auditorium of the Staff Development Centre (SDC), University of Kelaniya. The workshop, conducted under the theme Promoting Sports Literacy and Media Practices for an Advanced Sports Culture, was organized under the supervision of Senior Lecturer Saman Rajapaksha, Director of the Communication and Media Unit.

Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, graced the event as the chief guest, while Mr. Suresh Subramaniam, President of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, attended as the guest of honour. 

This initiative, organized for the first time with the involvement of a state university, aimed to enhance the professionalism of sports journalists representing both electronic and print media. It focused on strengthening participants’ theoretical and practical knowledge of sports literacy and media practices, identifying career challenges, and proposing guidelines to bring such issues to the attention of authorities and policymakers in the sports sector.

The workshop featured three sessions conducted by distinguished speakers. Professor Samantha Nanayakkara of the Department of Sociology, University of Colombo, delivered the keynote address on “Why Do Sports Journalists Need Sports Literacy?”. Senior Lecturer Amali Uthpala Nandasiri of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Kelaniya, presented on “Sports Reporting, Public Relations, and Media Practices,” while Senior Lecturer Anoma Rathnayaka of the Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Kelaniya, spoke on “The Need for Sports Journalists to Be Up-to-Date.”

The event also witnessed the presence of Senior Lecturer Dr. Nilantha Ramanayake, Head of the Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, along with academic staff of the department; Senior Lecturer Dr. Manoj Jinadasa, Head of the Department of Mass Communication; Senior Lecturer Dr. Manoji Harishchandra, Head of the Department of Philosophy; Mr. G. G. U. Saman Kumara, Acting Director of the Department of Physical Education; Mr. D. S. Weerasinghe, Lecturer of the Sports and Exercise Science Unit, Faculty of Science; and Mr. T. Nazir Amath, Media Secretary to the Hon. Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. Representatives from the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, sports journalists from both electronic and print media, staff of the Communication and Media Unit, and students from the Departments of Mass Communication and Sport Science and Physical Education also took part in the event. Certificates of participation were awarded to all sports journalists who attended the workshop.