HNB Legacy Open 2026, powered by Visa Infinite, concludes third edition in Nuwara Eliya

The HNB Legacy Open 2026, powered by Visa Infinite, concluded on 22 August in Nuwara Eliya, bringing together players from across the island for the third edition of the flagship golf tournament hosted by HNB Private Banking.

Played in the hill country, the tournament combined sport, fellowship, and recognition in a format designed exclusively for HNB Private Banking clientele. The event opened on 21 August at the iconic HNB Bungalow, with the main tournament at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club and the awards ceremony at the Grand Hotel on 22nd August, where winners were celebrated across five categories.

A defining feature of this year’s tournament was the introduction of the prestigious HNB Legacy Trophy, creating a lasting symbol of excellence for future champions. The names of this year’s winner will be the first to be engraved on the trophy, which will be permanently displayed at the HNB Private Banking Centre on Green Path, alongside a dedicated Honours Board celebrating the tournament’s champions through the years.

Mohan De Silva took overall honours with 45 points, also topping the Seniors Category ahead of runner-up Roy Anthony on 32 points. Chulaka Amarasinghe won Category A with 30 points from Ayaan Gunasekera on 27, while A.W.M. Riza took Category B with 35 points ahead of Priyanga Hapugalle on 33. Hemanga Karunasena won Category C with 34 points from Priyantha Kapuwatte on 32, and Ruwani Desinghe topped the Ladies Category with 32 points ahead of Kumudini Anthony on 26. Participants also competed for special prizes, with Thusara Rupasinghe taking Longest Drive on a 315-yard shot and Manjula Lanerolle finishing Nearest to the Pin at 36 inches.

HNB Chief Operating Officer Sanjay Wijemanne said: ‘The Legacy Open has grown into a fixture our Private Banking clients plan their year around, and the standard of play this year reflected that. Golf rewards patience and precision over long periods, which is the same discipline that defines how we manage relationships in Private Banking. Partnering with Visa Infinite allowed us to extend the experience beyond the course, and the partner support behind this edition gives us a clear basis to build on.’

Visa Country Manager for Sri Lanka and Maldives Avanthi Colombage said: ‘Across affluent consumers, the definition of value is moving beyond ownership to access, discovery, and experiences that feel personal and memorable. Visa Infinite is designed around this evolving aspiration, bringing cardholders premium privileges and curated experiences that complement their lifestyles. Through our partnership with HNB at the Legacy Open, we are able to bring this proposition to life for HNB cardholders in a setting that celebrates excellence, community, and the power of shared experiences.’

Category winners were presented with gifts sponsored by Cinnamon Hotels across its four Colombo properties, Santani Resorts Kandy, and Siddhalepa Resorts, while the overall champion received an all-expenses-paid three-day golf tour to The Bluffs Grand in Vietnam, ranked as one of Asia’s best coastal golf experiences.

With over 15 years of continued support for golf in Sri Lanka, HNB Private Banking continues to shape the Legacy Open into an annual tradition that celebrates sport, camaraderie, and trusted relationships.

Gill hits 223* as India chase down Windies’ record total

Shubman Gill scored a career-best 223 not out as India sensationally chased down West Indies’ record 405-7 with 39 balls to spare in the second one-day international in Guwahati.

West Indies looked to be favourites at the interval having posted their highest ever total in the format, with John Campbell (101), Shai Hope (104) and Amir Jangoo (114) all hitting centuries.

India captain Gill, however, was in sublime form – bringing up his century off just 62 balls and his 200 just 55 balls later.

The elegant right-hander plundered eight sixes and 26 fours, putting on 255 for the first wicket with Rohit Sharma, who scored a century of his own.

Rohit was trapped lbw for 101 and Virat Kohli fell for 29 but Ruturaj Gaikwad joined Gill, whose 223 is the third-highest individual score in men’s ODIs, to ensure India won in style and with remarkable ease.

Earlier, centuries for Campbell, Hope and Jangoo meant the Windies recorded their highest team total in the format. It was only the sixth time in ODI history that a team has had three centurions in one innings

Campbell and Hope put on 110 in 79 balls for the second wicket, before a huge third-wicket partnership of 182 between Hope and Jangoo set the platform for a record total.

Left-handed opener Campbell struck five sixes in his rapid century and took 22 off one Prasidh Krishna over.

India bowlers Krishna and Naman Dhir picked up injuries while paceman Auqib Nabi had a debut to forget – conceding 84 runs, the fourth-most by an Indian winning his first ODI cap.

West Indies’ batting performance comes less than a week since news that their players must take a 25% pay cut as part of wider cost-saving measures.

The two-time World Cup winners are also facing a battle to qualify directly for next year’s competition, having been consigned to a qualifier in early 2027.

Scores

West Indies 405-7 (50 overs) (Jangoo 114, Hope 104, Campbell 101) beat India 406-2 (43.3 overs) (Gill 223*, Rohit 101)

Sampath Bank to raise up to Rs. 50 b via Tier 2 debt in three years

Sampath Bank PLC plans to raise up to Rs. 50 billion through Basel III-compliant Tier 2 debt over a three-year period, the bank said.

The Board approved the issue of up to 500 million listed, rated, unsecured, subordinated, redeemable debentures, Green Bonds and/or Sustainability Bonds at a par value of Rs. 100 each at its meeting on 30 September.

The instruments will be issued in one or more tranches within three years of obtaining shareholder approval at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), subject to clearance from the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and other regulators.

Tier 2 capital is a supplementary layer of a bank’s regulatory capital under the Basel III framework, which sets minimum capital requirements for banks. The instruments are subordinated, meaning holders rank behind depositors and senior creditors in the event of liquidation.

All instruments will carry a non-viability conversion feature. This allows them to be converted into ordinary shares if the regulator determines that the bank has reached the point of non-viability, enabling losses to be absorbed by investors rather than depositors or taxpayers.

The timing, structure, type of instrument, coupon rates, frequency of interest payments, and other terms of each issue will be disclosed before it opens, the bank said. Each issue will be launched subject to obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals and on terms acceptable to the bank.

We cannot keep training health workers we have no plan to place

Every year, a familiar drama plays out in Uganda’s health sector. Medical graduates finish years of demanding training, wait anxiously for internship postings, then protest or threaten to boycott over allowances, delays and working conditions. Government offers assurances, Parliament debates, and the matter is settled until the next cohort arrives. The 2026 standoff over a Shs1 million stipend is only the latest episode.

These disputes persist because they are treated as isolated emergencies rather than symptoms of a broken pipeline. Uganda has no working link between how many health professionals it trains, how many internship places it can supervise and fund, and how many jobs it can offer afterwards. Start with training. Medical schools and other health training institutions have multiplied over the past two decades, with private universities joining public ones.

More training is welcome in a country with too few doctors. But admissions have grown largely according to institutional demand and fee income, not the country’s capacity to complete that training. Graduates cannot practice without a supervised internship, so every student admitted is a future claim on a government internship slot and budget line. Yet no one appears to count that claim when admission letters go out.

Next, consider the internship itself. Places depend on accredited hospitals with enough specialists to supervise, and on a budget to pay allowances. When graduate numbers outpace either, postings are delayed, cohorts pile up, and hospitals fill with interns but run short of supervisors. Allowances become the flashpoint because they are the most visible part of a strained arrangement.

Young doctors who have waited months without income understandably reach for the only leverage they have. Then there is what comes after. Many interns finish only to meet a hiring freeze or too few public-service posts. Some join private facilities, some leave the profession, and a growing number look abroad. The country spends heavily training professionals it then fails to employ, while rural health centres remain understaffed.

Seen this way, arguing over the size of the stipend misses the point. Even a generous allowance will not end the disputes if postings remain unpredictable and graduate numbers keep rising without matching supervision or funding. Three reforms would break this cycle. First, government should publish a multi-year health workforce plan linking training intake, internship capacity and public-service posts.

The ministries of Health and Education, the National Council for Higher Education and the health professional councils should jointly agree on how many internship places can be accredited and funded each year, and universities should plan admissions accordingly. Second, internship funding should be ring-fenced and predictable.

Allowances should be set through a transparent formula reviewed at fixed intervals, not renegotiated in crisis each year. A fixed internship calendar, with postings released on a known date, would remove much of the uncertainty that fuels anger. Third, government should create a standing dialogue mechanism with intern and medical associations, so grievances are resolved before they become boycott threats. Strikes hurt everyone, most of all patients who find wards short of hands.

None of this is simple given tight fiscal space. But improvising is not cheap either. Delayed postings waste expensive training, disrupted hospitals cost lives and public trust, and frustrated graduates take their skills elsewhere. The question is not whether Uganda can afford to plan its health workforce, but whether it can afford not to.

Our young doctors, nurses and pharmacists chose these careers to serve, not to spend their first-year negotiating. Government should give them a system that lets them do so.

Visa champions digital enablement and global opportunity for SMEs at Scale Up 2.0 National SME Forum 2026

Visa reinforced its commitment to advancing Sri Lanka’s small and medium enterprise (SME) growth agenda by supporting Scale Up 2.0, National SME Forum 2026, organised by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The forum brought together SME owners, entrepreneurs, policymakers, financial institutions, corporates, investors and development partners to explore practical pathways for strengthening the country’s SME ecosystem and enabling businesses to scale with greater confidence.

With ‘Connected. Competitive. Ready to Grow’ as the central theme, Scale Up 2.0 focused on enabling Sri Lankan SMEs access new markets, build stronger business networks, improve competitiveness and prepare for sustainable growth. The forum featured discussions on market access and value-chain integration, standards and certification, investment readiness, scaling mid-sized businesses and digital innovation.

Visa supported the forum as Platinum Partner. Representing Visa, Country Manager, Sri Lanka and Maldives Avanthi Colombage, highlighted the increasingly important role of technology, digital commerce and secure payments infrastructure in helping SMEs operate more efficiently, reach wider markets and participate with greater confidence in the global economy.

‘SMEs are at the heart of Sri Lanka’s economic resilience and future growth. Across industries, we are seeing SMEs become more ambitious, more digitally aware and more connected to opportunities beyond their immediate markets. And their next phase of growth will be shaped by how effectively they adopt digital tools to scale, compete and access new opportunities. At Visa, we are committed to supporting this growth through innovative payment solutions, ecosystem partnerships, financial literacy and digital capability-building initiatives that help small businesses operate faster, reach further and compete with greater confidence,’ Avanthi said.

Avanthi Colombage also highlighted several trends shaping the future of SMEs, including growing demand for simpler business solutions, seamless digital experiences, easier access to working capital and reliable cross-border payment capabilities. She noted that the SME sector is increasingly diverse, with businesses across retail, tourism, technology, exports and the creator economy requiring solutions designed around their individual operating models and growth ambitions.

As more Sri Lankan SMEs look beyond domestic markets, the ability to buy, sell and transact across borders is becoming increasingly important. Digital commerce and globally connected payment infrastructure can help businesses access customers and suppliers beyond their immediate markets, while enabling faster, simpler and more transparent transactions.

Avanthi added that SMEs are increasingly looking beyond individual financial products and seeking long-term partners that understand their needs and can support their growth journey.

‘SMEs are benefitted by partners like Visa who can help them pay and be paid with ease and security. When we help a small business accept a payment, reach a new customer, access a new market or operate more efficiently, we are enabling much more than a transaction. We are enabling opportunities for SMEs to flourish.’ she said.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairperson Krishan Balendra said, ‘Scale Up 2.0 was designed to move the SME conversation from aspiration to action. Sri Lanka’s entrepreneurs need stronger linkages to markets, finance, technology, standards and strategic partnerships if they are to grow with confidence and compete beyond traditional boundaries. As The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, we are committed to creating platforms that bring the right stakeholders together and help SMEs access the knowledge, networks and opportunities required to scale sustainably,’

Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said, ‘Sri Lanka’s SME sector holds immense potential to become one of the strongest drivers of inclusive growth, exports, innovation and employment. There is a significant untapped economic opportunity waiting to be unlocked across local and global markets, but realising it will require future-ready businesses, stronger digital adoption, improved access to finance and closer collaboration across government, industry, payments and development partners. Our focus is to create the enabling environment for SMEs to compete, scale and contribute meaningfully to the country’s next phase of economic growth,’

Visa’s participation in Scale Up 2.0 reflects its continued focus on supporting the digital enablement of businesses and strengthening an ecosystem in which Sri Lankan SMEs can connect, compete and grow. As the country’s SME sector continues to evolve, collaboration between the public and private sectors, financial institutions, industry bodies and technology providers will remain important in helping entrepreneurs turn ambition into sustainable economic opportunity.

Family feuds: Understand administrator general’s role

The tragic death of Moses Kaliisa Karangwa, the Kayunga District NRM chairman and senior presidential advisor, in a May 2026 road crash near Ssuka on the Kayunga-Jinja Highway sent shockwaves across the country.

But the bitter property dispute that erupted among his family shortly afterward has become something else entirely: a harsh public lesson in why every Ugandan must understand and appreciate the Office of the Administrator General.

Karangwa built a multi-billion-shilling empire. He also left behind 12 children. Today, his widow, Florence Joyce Kirabo, along with her three biological children, is locked in a fierce dispute with nine stepchildren led by his eldest daughter, Jackline Birungi. The children accuse their stepmother of taking sole control and shutting them out, while Kirabo insists a 2023 Will dictates the estate’s distribution. With mediation efforts collapsed, the dispute now sits before the Jinja High Court.

This is not just a private family quarrel. It is a textbook breakdown of succession management-and it explains why Resident District Commissioner (RDC) offices across Uganda are overwhelmed with land disputes.

Ever since President Museveni’s 2022 directive requiring RDC-led District Security Committees to oversee and approve land evictions, RDC offices have become the first stop for citizens seeking land justice. Yet a startling number of these cases are not typical landlord-tenant or buyer-seller disputes. They are the delayed fallout of unadministered estates. Families fail to report a death to the Administrator General, skip the required family meetings, and bypass obtaining a Certificate of No Objection. One relative starts selling off property, others object years later, and the resulting chaos lands on an RDC’s desk framed as an “impending eviction.” RDCs are then left trying to maintain public order over an estate that was never legally settled.

The Office of the Administrator General exists specifically to stop this chain reaction. Operating under the Succession Act and the Administrator General’s Act, its primary duty is to ensure the property of deceased persons, missing individuals, and vulnerable beneficiaries is handled lawfully and

transparently. Its protective functions are straightforward:

Initial oversight: It receives official death reports, opens estate files, and halts unauthorised dealings.

Consensus building: It convenes neutral family meetings to officially identify all beneficiaries and resolve disputes early.

Legal clearance: It issues Certificates of No Objection, allowing rightful administrators to apply to court for Letters of Administration.

Direct protection: It can take up administration directly or act as a Public Trustee to safeguard minors and vulnerable heirs.

Prosecuting intermeddlers: It takes legal action against anyone who unlawfully grabs, sells, or hides estate property.

Final distribution: It ensures legitimate debts are cleared, assets are transferred, and funds are distributed fairly.

In short, the office is the legal buffer between a person’s passing and the disorder that so often follows. When families bypass it, businesses collapse, orphans lose their inheritance, and private grief turns into a community security threat.

Even in high-profile disputes like the Karangwa case, the legal path remains clear. If a valid Will exists, named executors must seek probate. Beneficiaries who question a Will’s authenticity or administration can challenge it in court, request formal accounts, or involve the Administrator General. Social media battles do not grant land titles or transfer shareholding-only proper legal procedure does.

For any Ugandan navigating the loss of a relative, the lesson is clear: report the death early, attend the family meeting at the Administrator General’s office (or through your local Chief Administrative Officer), get the necessary legal certificates, and stop intermeddling in its tracks.

A person’s life work should build a legacy, not a battlefield.

Launch of Sri Lanka – Vietnam Business Council

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce with the support of the Embassy of Vietnam will establish the Sri Lanka – Vietnam Business Council next week.

It will be launched ceremoniously on 6 October at the Courtyard by Marriott Colombo, with Vietnam Ambassador Trinh Thi Tam as the Chief Guest.

The Council aims to strengthen bilateral trade, investment, and business relations between Sri Lanka and Vietnam whilst creating greater opportunities for collaboration between the business of both countries.

Chandimal appointed Head Coach of Vidyartha Rugby

Vidyartha Rugby has named its coaching panel for the 2027 season, with Chanaka Chandimal appointed as Head Coach of the First XV rugby team.

Chanaka played for Vidyartha from 2004 till 2007 and later for the national sevens and XVs for over a decade. He also played for Air Force, Navy, CR, Havies and CH in club rugby for 17 years. He also coached Thurstan and Isipathana at junior level.

He will be supported by Radeesha Senevirathne as Forwards Coach and Samuel Priyadarshana Kumara as Kicking Coach. Upul Weerasinghe will continue as the Team Manager.

Govt. to pay Rs. 70 a litre to diesel retailers

The Government will pay licensed fuel retailers Rs. 70 for every litre of diesel sold under a Rs. 41 billion subsidy approved by the Cabinet, Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka said yesterday. The subsidy is meant to cushion consumers and fuel companies from surging global oil prices.

The subsidy will be released over three months, with Rs. 15 billion allocated for October, Rs. 13.5 billion for November and Rs. 12.5 billion for December. Payments to each company will be based on the volume of diesel it sells in the respective month.

The measure is intended to prevent the full increase in international fuel prices from being passed on to consumers, the Minister said.

Fuel companies have reported varying losses under the current pricing structure, Karunathilaka said. Losses cited by individual companies were Rs. 120, Rs. 135, Rs. 192 and Rs. 247 per litre of diesel.

Karunathilaka acknowledged that the subsidy would not fully cover these losses, leaving retailers to absorb part of the increased costs. At Rs. 70 per litre, the subsidy offsets between 28% and 58% of the losses reported. He said the measure aimed to ease pressure on the fuel market and prevent a sharp price shock for consumers.

Some retailers have begun restricting diesel supplies, placing additional pressure on the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), the Minister said.

Despite the added burden, Karunathilaka said he was confident the CPC would not record an overall loss for the year. Revenue from its wider operations, including sales of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel as well as refinery operations, would help offset the additional costs, he said.

NEXT XV Rugby tournament: Final showdown within reach

The NEXT XV Rugby tournament reaches a decisive third week, with Kandy Tuskers and Colombo Aces needing bonus-point wins to keep alive their hopes of reaching the Cup final.

Galle Lions currently lead the standings, followed by Jaffna Bulls, Colombo Aces and Kandy Tuskers.

At 6 p.m., Kandy Tuskers will meet Jaffna Bulls, with Pawan Thiranagama tipped to lead the Kandy side. Minula Yaddehige, Afham Abdeen and Nethshan Manthusha are among their key players.

Jaffna, led by Mikayle Karunaratne, have a strong combination, including Trinity scrum-half Udan Wijekoon, whose game-reading ability makes him a vital link in their attack. Hamza Abdeen and Nimantha Sandeepa add further strength to the Bulls’ starting XV.

Nipuna Amarathunge will referee the opening encounter.

The 8 p.m. clash between Colombo Aces and Galle Lions is equally important, particularly for Colombo, who need a bonus-point victory to remain in contention.

Colombo will be captained by No. 8 Shaakib Zumri, who has impressed with his direct and composed approach. Udan Bulathsinghalage and Mohamed Fawaz are also expected to play important roles.

League leaders Galle Lions will be led by Shenuka Perera, with schoolmate Jamal Wahab and Abdul Malik among their notable players.

Gihan Yatawara will referee the second match.