Prema Pinnawala, one of Sri Lanka’s most influential sports administrators, has died after a brief illness, The Island reported. He was 88. The death occurred on Tuesday (May 13).
Pinnawala dedicated more than six decades to sports administration, playing a pivotal role in shaping athletics and Olympic sports governance in Sri Lanka. He first rose to prominence as a sportsman at Christian Mission College in the 1950s before moving into administration in 1963 as Chairman of the Sports Council at the University of Peradeniya.
He served as Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka for 15 years from 1983 to 1998 — a period that included Sri Lanka’s first Asian Games gold medals and the launch of multiple federations. He then returned to Sri Lanka Athletics as General Secretary, a role he held three times between 1998 and his retirement in 2023.
Pinnawala also served internationally as Secretary of the South Asian Sports Council and the Olympic Council of Asia Media Committee, and as a Council Member of the Asian Athletics Association. In 2025, World Athletics honoured him with its Veteran Pin for exceptional service to the sport.
Although his long tenure attracted criticism from some quarters, Pinnawala maintained that his continued involvement served the greater interests of sport. He developed a reputation as a mediator between local federations and international bodies.
His passing comes weeks after Sri Lanka’s medal haul at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games.
