Sri Lanka’s premier sports awards ceremony, the “Silk Sports Awards”, was held for the tenth consecutive year on 25 February 2026 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Colombo. The Chief Guest for the occasion was Honourable Mr Dilith Jayaweera, Member of Parliament of Sri Lanka.

The event celebrated sporting legends, heroes, and distinguished contributors who have made significant impacts to the development of sport in Sri Lanka. 

The ceremony, organised by SPORTSINFO in collaboration with the Institute of Sports Management (IOSM), is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and highlights both local and international contributions to the sporting arena.

The University of Kelaniya was represented at the ceremony by Senior Professor Sudath Kalingamudali, Former Dean of the Faculty of Science, Chairman of the Sports Advisory Board, and Chairman of the Task Force that introduced the BSc Honours in Sports Science degree programme; Senior Professor Ruwan Wijesundera, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science and Head of the Department of Physics and Electronics; and Dr Perumal Buvanendiran, Unit Head of the Sports & Exercise Science Unit, Faculty of Science.

The first set of awards was presented by Senior Professor Sudath Kalingamudali, who had the privilege of presenting an award to Mr Chandra Schaffter, a distinguished sporting figure in Sri Lanka. 

A significant highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Most Outstanding Contribution to Sports Education Award to the Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, in recognition of introducing the BSc Honours in Sports Science degree programme. Senior Professor Sudath Kalingamudali received the award on behalf of the Faculty.

The curriculum of the BSc Honours in Sports Science programme has been designed in alignment with internationally recognised degree programmes to ensure global relevance and academic rigour.

As enrolment to this degree programme is open to students from all Advanced Level streams, a six-week foundation programme is conducted at the University to provide a strong grounding in scientific fundamentals and essential academic skills, thereby preparing students to successfully meet the academic demands of the programme.

The first batch of graduates from the programme completed their studies on 1 March 2026, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of sports education in Sri Lanka.