Four final-year undergraduate students, reading for the BSc Honours Degree in Sports Science at the Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, achieved a notable academic milestone by being selected to receive the prestigious Research Incentive Grant under the National Research Symposium on Youth Development (NRSYD) 2026.

The National Research Symposium on Youth Development (NRSYD) 2026, jointly organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and The Open University of Sri Lanka, serves as a national platform dedicated to promoting and strengthening a research culture in youth development. The symposium provides opportunities for emerging researchers to contribute to national development through innovative, evidence-based research.

The recipients of the Research Incentive Grants were Subodha Supuni Gamage for the project titled “Influence of Interior Wall Colours in Indoor Courts on the Mood States of Racket Sports Players”; Athukoralalage Dona Sammani Iroshima for the project titled “Effects of Goal-Setting Strategies on Physical Fitness in High School Volleyball Athletes”; Galabalannalage Udani Sewwandi Jayathissa for the project titled “Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on Taekwondo Skill Performance in the Dehiowita Education Zone”; and Gunasingha Koshith Vihanga Gunasingha for the project titled “Effects of 5 vs 5 Small-Sided Games on Technical Skills of University Football Players.” The first three projects were supervised by Dr P. Buvanendiran, while the fourth was supervised by Mr D. S. Weerasinghe.

Each project received a grant of LKR 25,000, awarded on 29 May 2026 at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in recognition of the students’ outstanding research contributions, academic excellence, and commitment to advancing knowledge in youth development and sports science.

This achievement reflects the high standard of undergraduate research at the University of Kelaniya and further highlights the growing research capacity, innovation, and academic potential of its students, while underscoring the University's continued commitment to fostering research excellence and promoting active engagement in scholarly pursuits.