Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs (Sri Lanka)

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
තරුණ කටයුතු හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශය
இளைஞர் மற்றும் விளையாட்டுத்துறை அமைச்சு
Ministry overview
Formed1966
JurisdictionGovernment of Sri Lanka
Minister responsible
Websitewww.moys.gov.lk
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports of Sri Lanka
since 18 November 2024
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
AppointerThe president on advice of the prime minister
Websitewww.moys.gov.lk

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports[1] (Sinhala: තරුණ කටයුතු හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශය; Tamil: இளைஞர் மற்றும் விளையாட்டுத்துறை அமைச்சு) is a ministry in the Government of Sri Lanka which has the mandate to promote the role of sports in Sri Lankan culture and society.[2] As of end September 2025, Sunil Kumara Gamage is the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, an appointment to the Cabinet of Sri Lanka.[3] He was named as minister in November 2024.[4]

History

The ministry was initially created in 1966 to help bring the varied sports initiatives together as part of the portfolio of the Ministry of Nationalised Services.[5][6] The first Minister was V. A. Sugathadasa, the first Secretary was Dr. H. S. R. Gunawardena and the first Director was Austin Rajakaruna. In 1970 the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Sports was established. In 1989 this entity was renamed the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and subsequently in 2000 as the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. In 2004 it was called the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, in 2007 the Ministry of Sports and Public Recreation of Sports and finally in 2010 the Ministry of Sports.

As of 2022 it is called the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs.

List of ministers

Parties

  Sri Lanka Freedom Party   United National Party   Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna

Name Portrait Party Tenure
V. A. Sugathadasa United National Party 1966 - 1970
Kiri Banda Ratnayake Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1972 - 1977
Vincent Perera United National Party 1977 - 1988
Nanda Mathew United National Party 1989 - 1993
S. B. Dissanayake S. B. Dissanayake Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1994 - 2001
Mangala Samaraweera Mangala Samaraweera Sri Lanka Freedom Party 2001
Lakshman Kiriella United National Party 2001 - 2002
Johnston Fernando Johnston Fernando United National Party 2002 - 8 April 2004
Jeewan Kumaranatunga Sri Lanka Freedom Party 8 April 2004 - 28 January 2007
Gamini Lokuge Gamini Lokuge United National Party (D) 28 January 2007 - 23 April 2010
C. B. Rathnayake Sri Lanka Freedom Party 23 April 2010 - 22 November 2010
Mahindananda Aluthgamage[7] Sri Lanka Freedom Party 22 November 2010 – 12 January 2015
Navin Dissanayake United National Party 19 January 2015 - 4 September 2015
Dayasiri Jayasekara Sri Lanka Freedom Party 4 September 2015 - 12 April 2018
Faiszer Musthapha Sri Lanka Freedom Party 12 April 2018 - 15 December 2018
Harin Fernando S. B. Dissanayake United National Party 20 December 2018 - 15 November 2019
Dullas Alahapperuma Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna 22 November 2019 – 12 August 2020
Namal Rajapaksa Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna 12 August 2020 – 3 April 2022
Roshan Ranasinghe Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna 23 May 2022 – 27 November 2023
Harin Fernando S. B. Dissanayake Samagi Jana Balawegaya 27 November 2023 - 2024

References

  1. ^ "Extra Gazette No. 2281/41 of 27.05.2022 (Duties and Functions)" (PDF). documents.gov.lk. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  2. ^ Madhushani, A. A. L. (1 December 2019). "Challenges in Integrity of Sport: Current Practices and Preventive Approaches of Sport Corruption in Sri Lanka". Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research. 84 (1): 21–26. doi:10.2478/pcssr-2019-0023. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Office of the Cabinet of Ministers, Sri Lanka". www.cabinetoffice.gov.lk. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  4. ^ "Sunil Kumara becomes new Sports Minister". Latest in the News Sphere | The Morning. 2024-11-20. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  5. ^ Biyanwila, S. Janaka (2018). "Development and Sports in Sri Lanka". Sports and the Global South. pp. 179–217. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-68502-1_6. ISBN 978-3-319-68501-4. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  6. ^ "Former Ministers & Secretaries". Ministry of Sports. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  7. ^ Clementine, Rex. "When failures boast of success". island.lk. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Sports_(Sri_Lanka)