President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has criticized the poor use of sports and youth affairs funds in 2025, demanding urgent reforms, faster stadium construction, and a comprehensive new plan to build Sri Lanka’s sports culture ahead of 2026.
A review of the budget allocations for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for 2025 and a preliminary discussion on the 2026 proposals was held at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on the morning of the 15th.
The allocations provided for eight institutions under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for 2025 and the current progress of the related projects were separately reviewed. The President pointed out that the long-standing problem across all sectors, including youth affairs and sports, has been the lack of proper utilization of funds. He stressed that although the budget allocated sufficient provisions for each sector, the projects have failed to deliver results. The President emphasized that completing these allocations within this financial year must be treated as a priority to ensure benefits reach the people.
During the discussion, the President highlighted the importance of preparing the 2026 budget proposals with a focus on creating a sports culture in Sri Lanka, developing infrastructure, implementing programs to identify internationally talented athletes, and guiding them onto the global stage.
He instructed officials to design a comprehensive plan to build a national sports culture, calling on sports associations to play an active role while being provided with adequate facilities. The President underlined that funds for sports are not merely for athletic development, but also serve as an investment in national health, social welfare, crime prevention, drug abuse reduction, unity, and the creation of a dynamic workforce.
Emphasizing that training and technology are now vital in modern sports, the President urged the Ministry of Sports to prioritize providing athletes with advanced facilities. He ordered officials to accelerate the renovation and construction of the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo and fast-track the completion of stadium projects across the island, including those in Kilinochchi and Mannar.
The importance of employing professionals with specialized expertise in sports infrastructure development was discussed, along with the idea of establishing a government consulting company and seeking international-level advisory services.
The President also directed officials to strengthen school sports development and assured that he is ready to allocate the necessary provisions for this purpose. He further instructed the ministry to prepare and submit a comprehensive new plan for sports development, addressing all these concerns as a matter of urgency.
Attention was also given to the future programs of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, particularly those involving young participants from the recently held 2025 National Youth Conference.
