Category: Daily Financial Times

The arrest last week of the Chief Prelate of the Atamasthana, Pallegama Hemarathana, on allegations of sexually abusing an underage girl has once again exposed a deeply troubling reality of a culture of impunity surrounding religious authority. The National Child Protection Authority reportedly failed to act on the case for years, until renewed scrutiny by a local journalist forced the matter back into public attention. While the allegations remain before the courts, the case is significant because it is one of the rare occasions in which law enforcement authorities have been compelled to take meaningful action against a senior member of the clergy.

The girl’s mother has also been remanded on charges of aiding and abetting the alleged abuse, raising painful questions about the extent to which fear, social pressure, and reverence for religious figures can silence even those closest to victims.

This is not an isolated incident. Just over a month ago, allegations surfaced regarding repeated sexual abuse committed by a Catholic priest attached to a leading boys’ school in Kandy. In that instance, the accused priest had already died. During his lifetime, however, no meaningful action appears to have been taken beyond transferring him to another school, a familiar institutional response seen across many countries and religious traditions when abuse allegations emerge.

Sri Lanka has long placed religious clergy, whether Buddhist monks, Christian priests, or other spiritual leaders. Yet this reverence has also created dangerous conditions in which allegations of abuse are too often dismissed, victims are pressured into silence, and institutions close ranks to protect their own. The result is a system where children, the most vulnerable members of society, are left exposed.

Despite the arrest of Hemarathana and his production before a magistrate, the country’s record of successfully prosecuting religious figures accused of crimes against children remains virtually non-existent. This failure is not merely legal but a cultural failure of the criminal justice system. Victims and their families often fear social stigma, retaliation, ostracism, or the destruction of their reputations. In many cases, families themselves appear reluctant to confront accusations involving clergy because of the immense social influence religious figures wield. The allegations in the Hemarathana case suggest precisely such a dynamic.

A monk’s saffron robe or a priest’s cassock cannot and must not confer immunity from prosecution. When individuals exploit positions of spiritual authority to abuse children, they commit not only criminal offences but profound betrayals of public trust and faith itself.

What makes these recurring allegations even more disturbing is the role many religious institutions have played in resisting comprehensive sexual health education in schools. For years, sections of the clergy have opposed age-appropriate education on sexuality, consent, bodily autonomy, and personal boundaries, often invoking ‘culture’ and ‘tradition’ to justify their objections. Yet it is precisely the absence of such education that leaves children vulnerable to exploitation.

Children who receive proper sexual health education are better equipped to recognise inappropriate behaviour, understand consent, identify improper touching, and seek help when confronted by predatory adults, including those in positions of religious authority.

The Hemarathana case now presents the criminal justice system with an important opportunity. It is a chance to demonstrate that no individual, regardless of religious standing or social influence, is above the law. Authorities must ensure that allegations are investigated thoroughly, victims are protected and supported, and perpetrators, if found guilty, are brought to justice.

The Sri Lanka Air Force felicitated its outstanding athletes who brought international acclaim to the nation by securing medals at the recently concluded Asian Beach Games 2026 in China.

A special felicitation ceremony took place recently at Air Force Headquarters under the patronage of Air Force Commander and Air Force Sports Council President Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe.

In appreciation of their exceptional performances in wrestling, Kabaddi, and long jump, the athletes were promoted to the rank of Corporal. In addition to these promotions, they were awarded special cash prizes in recognition of their dedication and achievements.

The ceremony also highlighted the invaluable contribution of the coaches, whose guidance and commitment played a pivotal role in these successes.

Wrestling: Corporal Nipuni Wasana Dharmadasa – Gold Medal

Kabaddi (Women’s Team): Corporal Hansika Bandara – Silver Medal

Kabaddi (Women’s Team): Corporal Shanika Bandara – Silver Medal

Kabaddi (Men’s Team): Corporal Chaminda Samarakoon – Bronze Medal

Long Jump (Women’s): Corporal Shashikala Lankathilaka –

Bronze Medal

As artificial intelligence continues to be adopted across business functions and customer-facing technologies, Deloitte notes that the need for stronger governance and risk management around AI is becoming more important than ever. Against this backdrop, ISO/IEC 42001, released in December 2023 by the International Organisation for Standardisation, is emerging as a key framework to help organisations build trustworthy, transparent and accountable AI systems.

As businesses explore the potential of generative AI and other advanced AI applications, they are also facing growing concerns around accuracy, bias, data privacy, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance. These concerns are no longer limited to technology teams alone, but are increasingly becoming boardroom matters, particularly as organisations seek to scale AI responsibly while maintaining stakeholder confidence.

ISO 42001 provides a structured management system standard for AI governance and risk management across the AI lifecycle. It covers key areas such as governance structures, accountability, risk assessment, transparency, fairness, and mechanisms to support compliance with evolving legal and regulatory requirements. For organisations looking to adopt AI more confidently, the standard offers a practical way to strengthen internal oversight while demonstrating readiness to customers, regulators and other stakeholders.

From a Deloitte perspective, the significance of ISO 42001 lies not only in certification, but in what it represents. It signals that an organisation is taking a more disciplined and sustainable approach to managing AI-related risks while also building the foundations for long-term trust. As AI becomes more embedded in business operations and decision-making, this kind of maturity will become increasingly important.

Deloitte Sri Lanka and Maldives Cyber and Technology Risk Head and Information Security Leader Vengadasalam Balagobi said, ‘AI adoption is accelerating across industries, but so are the associated risks. Organisations need to move beyond experimentation and focus on building structured governance around how AI systems are developed and used. Frameworks such as ISO 42001 provide a practical starting point to strengthen oversight, manage risks effectively, and build trust with stakeholders.’

The relevance of this standard is also tied to the broader global regulatory direction. AI-related requirements are continuing to evolve across jurisdictions, and many of the areas covered by ISO 42001 align with wider regulatory and governance expectations. For businesses, this means that early alignment with such a framework can support not only risk management, but also future readiness.

Another strength of ISO 42001 is that it can build on capabilities many organisations may already have in place. Existing controls and processes around data governance, information security, privacy, enterprise risk management and internal audit can often serve as a starting point. This gives organisations an opportunity to assess what already exists, identify any gaps, and strengthen coordination across teams involved in AI development, deployment and oversight.

Balagobi also added: ‘Organisations should take a structured approach when strengthening AI governance. This includes assessing existing capabilities across governance, security and compliance, establishing clear ownership of AI risk management responsibilities, and ensuring there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that AI systems are operating effectively and sustainably over time.’

As conversations around AI move from experimentation to enterprise adoption, governance will play a critical role in determining how confidently organisations can scale these technologies. ISO 42001 offers a timely framework for businesses seeking to balance innovation with accountability, while building trust in how AI is designed, deployed and monitored.

Deloitte remains committed to supporting organisations as they navigate the evolving AI landscape, strengthen governance practices, and build systems that are trusted, resilient and fit for a rapidly changing business environment.

LOLC Finance has appointed Reshan Dewapura to its Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director.

Dewapura has a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Moratuwa, a Master’s in Project Management from George Washington University, and counts over 38 years of experience in the ICT industry.

He is currently the CEO at GSS International Ltd., a state-of-the-art BPO operation providing AI+ services to a range of international clients and one of the largest BPO operations in Sri Lanka, with centres in Colombo and Kurunegala and employing over 3,000 staff.

His previous corporate positions include the position of CEO at the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka. Immediately prior, Dewapura worked in senior management positions for Hewlett Packard (HP) for nearly a decade based out of the UK. He is currently a Board Director at the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) and is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the Centre for Development Informatics at the University of Manchester, UK. He is also a Board Director at Flix 11 Ltd.

Phishing episode at Treasury

With the recent phishing episode at Sri Lanka’s General Treasury involving $ 2.5 million, alertness has been aroused among Sri Lankans that cybercriminals are on the job to trap them into seemingly genuine but fake transactions to steal their money. In the General Treasury’s case, as information in the public domain reveals, Treasury officials, who appear to be greenhorns on the job, were duped by cybercriminals into paying a routine debt repayment into a fake account rather than to the actual creditor of the loan.

As Parliamentary select Committee on Public Finance Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva revealed on X after the CoPF meeting with top Treasury and Central Bank officials, the fake payment had been made on 10 occasions to the alleged cybercriminal gang from October 2025 through January 2026[1].

This is a strange debt repayment since loan repayments are not made monthly but either half yearly or annually. According to a report filed by the Criminal Investigations Department to the Courts, the Treasury officials concerned had failed to notice that the email domain used by the cybercriminals had been not the legitimate domain exportfinance.gov.au but a fake one called exportfinance.av.com [2]. This is the modus operandi of cybercriminals who use phishing to target unsuspecting individuals and drain their accounts.

Attempts at stealing banking or credit card credentials

This writer received an SMS from a locally registered Airtel mobile phone (+94 (75) 352 6121) recently that the parcel addressed to him could not be delivered due to incomplete address details. To verify the information to proceed with delivery, SMS had advised him to log into the website https://ln.run/6a6 which was different from the correct domain format of Government of Sri Lanka websites that end with gov.lk. Further inquiries revealed that it was a fake website purported to be by Sri Lanka Post and they had attempted to steal the credit card information belonging to the writer. Therefore, unless one is alert, one may fall prey to their horrendous schemes.

When their request for updating the address was not heeded to, several more SMSs were followed creating a false sense of urgency that the alleged parcel will be returned or a penalty

would be charged once it is eventually delivered. They were all from different mobile numbers from the same service provider, namely, + 94 (75) 513 2360, + 94 (75) 830 9288, and +94 (75) 140 5578. Many Sri Lankans may have received this type of profitable suggestions from cybercriminals whose objective has been to steal the bank or credit card credentials of the recipients. The best way to handle them is to ignore those profitable suggestions. Several previous articles in this series had warned the readers not to fall into these schemes, now known as Pig-Butchering and DeepFakes [3]. With such knowledge now available in the public domain, it is unfortunate that the Treasury officials concerned had fallen into a trap laid by cybercriminals.

Tech-savvy Registration of Persons Department becomes a victim

Recently, the Department for Registration of Persons, which is responsible for issuing National Identity Cards to Sri Lankans, had reported an instance of a wrongful use of its hotline call number which is also its WhatsApp number and some mobile phone numbers with criminal intentions by an unidentified group [4].

According to a warning notice issued by the Department, the said numbers have been used by this group to reach citizens by phone as well as via WhatsApp to collect personal information of people. This group has also misused the Department’s name by creating a mobile application using the emblem of the Government of Sri Lanka. The call recipients have been duped by the callers that the information had been sought to issue a digital identity card or an e-National Identity Card, a current project being embarked on by the Department. The Department had warned the people that it has not sought information from the public via telephone and, therefore, citizens should not fall victim to the modus operandi of such unlawful schemers.

Why this group is collecting personal information from the public is not clear, but its criminal intention is obvious. If the telephone number belonging to a tech-savvy Government department can be stolen by cybercriminals, the safeguards which ordinary people have in protecting their personal telephone or WhatsApp numbers is extremely doubtful.

This writer recently received a WhatsApp message from one of his contacts, a notable personality in the country, which said that he was unsuccessful at sending Rs. 100,000 to someone for urgent medical treatment and whether this writer could help him in providing this money to the aggrieved party. It also said that if it is done, the moneys paid will be refunded by the following day morning. The person who owns the WhatsApp number in this case came to know that his identity has been stolen by cybercriminals to target his contacts only when he was alerted by this writer. The danger is that there can be many instances of such phishing attacks by cybercriminals unknown to the relevant persons.

Losing brain and heart

This is about losing our property, namely, money or valuable assets. However, the real danger that is unfolding today is not about the loss of property but our brains and hearts: brains by targeting to breach our cognitive capacities and hearts by driving us into a state of either positive or negative emotions.

Generative Artificial Intelligence and social media are being increasingly used by interested parties to fill our brains with fake news, ideas, and slogans and use the consequential negative or positive emotional state to have their scurrilous goals achieved. The success of these gangs can be observed by the high level of resharing of such fake news items on social media, among friends and relatives, usually qualified by the statement that ‘shared as received’ without taking responsibility for the veracity of such fake news.

Knowingly or unknowingly, they become unpaid marketing managers of those who create them for their ulterior motives. Such shared fake news items also put to test the cognitive capacity of those who receive them in subsequent rounds. Many who believe in the veracity of such fake news at the first glance without subjecting it to a critical analysis do reshare it, giving it a wider circulation and thereby helping the perpetrators to achieve their goal. This is chain publicity done free of charge for fake news with a wider outreach at each subsequent round of resharing.

Fake news has wings

Fake news spread faster than true news primarily because it is designed to be shocking, emotionally charged, or novel, often reaching, say a cohort of 1500 people six times faster than accurate news.

Humans, rather than bots, are the primary drivers, sharing sensational content that triggers fear, disgust, or surprise, according to a study done by a group of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [5]. According to the researchers, the most common subject matter was false political news. Other popular topics included urban legends, business, terrorism, science, entertainment and natural disasters. The research study has concluded that falsehood diffuses significantly farther, faster, deeper, and more broadly than the truth in all categories of information, and in many cases, by an order of magnitude.

Since the spread of false news is done by humans and not bots, the solution lies in appropriate behavioural interventions aiming at educating the public. The MIT study has suggested that if some people are deliberately spreading false news, while others are spreading so unwittingly, it is a two-part problem requiring multiple tactics to address the issue. This involves the creation of measurements or indicators that could become benchmarks for social networks, advertisers and other parties. The spread of false news faster than true news is like a virus that should be eliminated through the joint action of governments, civic organisations, and private businesses.

Popularity of fake news

There are several reasons for false news to travel faster than true news.

First, false news has an emotional appeal strengthened by its novelty. Therefore, they become more interesting and self-serving to share than boring truths. Second, as found by the above-mentioned MIT study too, humans driven by emotions are more likely to reshare false news. Third, fake news has a sensational content and social media reward such false news by making it readily visible. Fourth, there is a widened circular reporting of false news with multiple agents reprinting or resharing it, giving the exposed persons a false sense that it has been verified by previous sharers in the chain.

However, people tend to share false news, not because they lack intelligence but because they harbour a need to feel empowered, gain attention, or protect loved ones. This psychological motive is amplified by the action of online bots who make misinformation or false news look popular and trustworthy. According to American Psychological Association, exposure to false news increases the odds that people will believe it, which in turn increases the odds that they will spread it [6].

Even when people know that the news is false, they still spread it to signal their political affiliation, disparage perceived opponents, or accrue social rewards. Thus, people are more likely to share or reshare false news when it aligns with personal identity or social norms, when it is novel, and when it elicits strong emotions.

Susceptibility to fake news is an issue throughout history

Human beings, though they are called Homo sapiens or Man the Wise, have been susceptible to shocking false stories throughout the history.

Kautilya, the 3rd Century BCE Indian economics Guru, advises the king that the widely prevalent black magic and sorcery at that time should be exploited by the king for his purposes. One way of exploitation was to hoodwink the gullible people to collect money for the depleted Treasury [7]. Hence, the exploitation of gullible people through false stories in the present AI driven era is not a new development. But its danger is that the false stories spread faster than they had spread in the olden times, causing them a wide outreach, robbing both the brains and hearts of the victims.

Using the good names of notable people

In the recent past, there had been two instances of this writer’s credentials being used by cybercriminals to dupe gullible people.

In the first instance, this writer was presented as a promoter of a clandestine but super profitable investment scheme [8]. It had falsely said that this writer had been using the said investment platform for several years and therefore he recommends it to everyone. Some Sri Lankans who had been misled by this fabricated story had contacted this writer asking how they should join the scheme.

In the second instance, a fabricated news item had been created by presenting a statement made by this writer to an unknown news channel called ‘TTV News.lk’ that the officials at the Treasury who have made the wrong debt repayment to cybercriminals had not done their job properly. This had been posted to Facebook, and many Facebook members had reshared it. The worst outcome had been the offensive comments made by members below the posted news item. But this writer had not made such a statement to this clandestine news channel. Thus, the brains of those who had reshared it had been stolen by the person or persons who have created this story. The hearts of those who had made offensive comments, a group of emotion-driven people, too had been stolen by them.

Need for ridding ourselves of emotions

Thus, cybercriminals are stealing not only our physical properties but also our soul, our ability to think critically as Homo sapiens.

Both will cause irreversible losses to us, the former ridding us of our assets and the latter ridding us of our cognitive powers as Homo sapiens. But the solution also rests with us.

So long as we are driven by petty emotions like fear, hatred, jealousy, greed, or suspicion, we present ourselves as a fertile ground for these cybercriminals to hook and manipulate us. Here, if we develop critical thinking, that is, questioning ourselves why we hold a particular emotional view, whether positive or negative, and rid ourselves of it, we no longer become ready victims. This requires continuous wise counsel at all walks of life and all levels of professional positions.

Like Continuous Professional Development which is being harboured by professional bodies for their members, Continuous Wise Counsel should be a part and parcel of living in modern societies. This should be done specifically for school children who readily fall victims and lose their critical thinking, a malaise that would create bots who are willing to believe anything they are bombarded with.

Former Sri Lanka cricketer and a member of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Transformation Committee Sidath Wettimuny is confident that something tangible and constructive will be done by the nine-member committee appointed by the Government to run the administrative affairs of cricket in the country and to make changes to its constitution.

‘We have got the backing from everybody who needs to back us. To do anything, we need the backing of the Government and the President (Anura Kumara Dissanayake), and I believe we have that,’ Wettimuny told the Daily FT.

‘The signs are very positive. I am hopeful that we will be allowed to do what we want to do and what we have to do. That’s the key. I do want to see constitutional changes without which nothing will go forward. The main purpose of the Transformation Committee is to change the constitution.’

‘If you want our cricket to progress and go to another level, constitutional changes are vital. That’s how I see it. We need a change and we need to make a structural change. It is the belief of a lot of people. Otherwise, it will be back to square one again, which I have experienced with previous interim committees.’

Wettimuny has been part and parcel of virtually each and every interim committee appointed by the State since the first in 1999, and he has also chaired one of them in 2015. Nearly every interim committee that has been appointed had been on the point of making changes to the SLC constitution and bringing in new reforms, but, for some unknown reasons, it has never happened.

‘When I was chairing the interim committee in 2015, things were about to happen, but don’t ask me what went wrong. At the last minute, it was scuttled by somebody I don’t know,’ said Wettimuny.

‘I believe we have a better chance now of making the required changes to the constitution. Only time will tell. Changing the constitution is the prime concern of this committee. Without that, it’s a waste of time. In the meantime, if we have to make some positive changes with cricket, we will, and also put a few things in a better place.’

‘We are looking at the areas we need to improve. We have sat just once and we’ve got an idea from the departments to figure out what’s happening. Wherever we think we need to improve, we will. Some areas we have identified. We have already got a few things going but give us a little time. These things you can’t do in a week; you must study and make the changes.’

‘Our first priority is to make sure the mindset of our players are right and prepare them to go on tours. We will take a little time to get the ball rolling but, rest assured, we will.’

The present Transformation Committee headed by former MP Eran Wickramaratne was appointed barely two weeks ago to replace the elected committee of SLC that submitted its resignation en bloc on 29 April.

Wettimuny said that they will use the Chitrasiri Committee report as a base and make whatever changes that are required.

The Chitrasiri Committee, headed by retired Supreme Court Judge K.T. Chitrasiri, was tasked in 2023 with drafting a new constitution for SLC to reform its governance, improve accountability, and professionalise administration following ongoing crises in SLC governance.

Wettimuny said a committee, which also includes members of the Transformation Committee, has been appointed to look into that aspect and that it will move very fast.

Sri Lanka’s cricket has been going downhill for several years, with only a flash of a win here and a win there, but never consistent enough to make them a force to be reckoned with in world cricket.

As a former national cricketer, Wettimuny said it is the dream of everyone to see the country doing well in cricket and be on top of the game.

‘I really didn’t want to come into the present committee, but at the last minute, someone backed out and I was co-opted. Due to certain circumstances, I couldn’t let them down,’ he said.

Dynawash Ltd., a leading apparel washing and finishing specialist in Sri Lanka, continues to drive sustainable innovation with its latest breakthrough- ‘Tea Dye’, developed in collaboration with Lipton Ice Tea. The eco-friendly dyeing solution utilises byproducts from Lipton Ice Tea to create natural dyes for apparel, supporting waste reduction and circular manufacturing.

The company recently hosted a high-level delegation from Pepsi Lipton at its state-of-the-art facility in the Biyagama Export Processing Zone, marking the first visit to Sri Lanka by the CEO of Pepsi.

The delegation included Pepsi Lipton CEO Bjorn Bernemann, Pepsi Lipton JV Vice President – Global R and D Julie Merrick, Vice President – Global Supply Chain and Sustainability Herlu Rautenbach, Pepsi Lipton Unilever Senior Digital Marketing Manager Lona Borer, and Maya Jabrallah

During the visit, the team toured Dynawash’s processing facility, gaining firsthand insight into the Tea Dye technology and its scalability for global apparel supply chains. Dynawash’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and environmentally responsible manufacturing continues to position Sri Lanka as a key player in the future of eco-conscious fashion.

The German Airports Association has warned of the possible cancellation of millions of flights and higher air ticket prices amid expected shortages in kerosene supplies.

The Association’s Chief Executive Officer Ralph Beisel, told the edition of German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that there are concerns over additional flight cancellations by low-cost airlines and on routes to destinations with limited tourism appeal.

He added that the best-case scenario for 2026 would be stagnation in passenger numbers, while the worst-case scenario could see operational capacity at some airports decline by 10 percent, potentially affecting up to 20 million passengers.

Beisel noted that some destinations may no longer receive flights at all, while flights to other destinations could become less frequent and more expensive.

Jet fuel prices have surged sharply following disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz caused by the Iran war, prompting some airlines to cancel a number of flights.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has informed the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) that no unusual activity had been reported during the period in which the Rs. 13.2 billion fraud at National Development Bank PLC (NDB) took place, with the Parliamentary oversight body questioning failures in audit, internal controls, and banking supervision linked to the incident.

According to a statement issued by the Parliament Secretariat, the matter was taken up at a CoPF meeting held on 5 May under the Chairmanship of MP Dr. Harsha de Silva.

The Parliament Secretariat said CBSL officials informed the Committee that the fraud had directly contributed to a decline in NDB’s share price and the downgrading of its credit ratings.

During the discussions, the CoPF examined weaknesses in banks’ internal control systems and questioned how the bank’s internal audit committee, external auditors, Board audit committee, and the CBSL’s Department of Supervision of Banks had failed to detect the fraud.

CBSL officials told the Committee that no unusual activity had been reported during the period in which the fraudulent transactions had taken place.

While the CBSL told the CoPF that no unusual activity had been detected during the period of the fraud, questions have intensified after NDB’s audited 2025 accounts showed a sharp rise in receivables linked to CEFT transactions to Rs. 12.2 billion from Rs. 3.1 billion a year earlier, with analysts arguing that the increase should have triggered scrutiny from management, auditors, and regulators (https://www.ft.lk/front-page/NDB-Board-gets-flack-for-ignoring-high-Rs-12-3-b-receivables-arising-from-CEFT-deals/44-790631).

The Committee also raised concerns over the same audit committee that functioned during the period of the fraud continuing to remain involved in related investigations, describing the arrangement as problematic.

The CoPF further stressed the need to improve transparency in external audit processes and strengthen oversight mechanisms within the banking sector.

The Committee also discussed what it described as ‘outdated security standards’ adopted by banks despite advances in technology, emphasising the importance of maintaining minimum common technological standards and a stronger regulatory framework across the sector.

According to the statement, the CoPF also underscored the need to introduce advanced technological systems incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent similar frauds in the future and strengthen the overall security of the banking system.

CBSL officials were also questioned on plans to introduce new technological regulations for fraud management. Officials informed the Committee that discussions are underway on issuing regulations aimed at strengthening fraud management systems across banks.

Sri Lanka Rugby has named a strong men’s squad for the inaugural Central and South Asia (CASA) Rugby 7s Tournament, which will take place in Uzbekistan on 16 and 17 May.

The Sri Lanka men’s outfit will be heavily dominated by players from Kandy SC, with seven players earning national selection. Two players are from CH, while one each represents Police and CR in the final touring 12.

Experienced campaigner Srinath Sooriyabandara will Captain the side, while Janidu Dilshan has been appointed Vice Captain.

The squad blends youth and experience as Sri Lanka looks to make a strong impact in the fast-paced sevens format against tough regional opposition.

The CASA Rugby Alliance is expected to strengthen rugby ties across Central and South Asia while providing valuable international exposure for players, coaches, and officials.

Sri Lanka will compete alongside hosts Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, India, and Pakistan in the men’s event, while the women’s competition will feature Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, India, and Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka men’s squad: Srinath Sooriyabandara (Capt.), Janidu Dilshan (Vice Capt.), Chathura Soysa, Akash Madushanka, Kavindu Perera, Kavindu de Costa, Ramitha Himash, Ravidu Anjula, Suranga Thennakoon, Diluksha Dange, Gayan Perera, and Chemod Muthunayake.