CARNAGE, a Sri Lankan active wear brand, has launched the Carnage Athlete Foundation to identify, nurture and develop sporting talent capable of representing the country on the global stage, the company said.
The foundation is positioned as a long-term talent pipeline rather than a one-off sponsorship programme, founder and chief executive Joel Tillekeratne said in the launch statement. “We’re building long-term systems that take raw talent in Sri Lanka and turn it into world-class performance that can stand on any stage,” Tillekeratne said. “We’re not interested in short-term inspiration or one-off success stories. What matters to us is what happens over time. The early mornings, the setbacks, the discipline when no one is watching.”
Three athletes have been named as the foundation’s inaugural faces. Sujan Perera, the captain of the Sri Lanka national football team, was cited for his technical quality and leadership. Khalid Osman, a triathlete and Ironman 70.3 competitor who lost his eyesight at 26, is recognised as the first visually impaired Sri Lankan to compete in five Ironman 70.3 events, with appearances in Paris, Singapore, Japan, Jordan and Sri Lanka. “I don’t compete despite my challenges. I compete because of them,” Osman said in the statement. Darren Sonal Tranchell, a high-performance junior rower competing across age categories locally and internationally, was named as the third featured athlete.
The launch comes as Sri Lankan sport navigates governance changes at the National Olympic Committee under newly elected president Asanga Seneviratne and the rollout of state-backed talent and welfare schemes, including Rs. 61 million in awards for Paris Paralympic athletes and coaches. Carnage said the new foundation would focus on creating meaningful opportunities for sportsmen and sportswomen across the country and contribute to the broader development of Sri Lankan sport.
