The Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry held a felicitation ceremony last week to honour the seven Sri Lankan athletes who won medals at the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, Daily FT reported. The medal haul lifted Sri Lanka to 10th place in the overall standings among 45 Asian nations.
Sri Lanka secured one gold, two silver and four bronze medals — a record-breaking performance for the country at the regional multi-sport event. Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage presided over the ceremony alongside Sports Deputy Minister Sugath Thilakaratne and the incoming National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) President Asanga Seneviratne.
Minister Gamage said the gold won by Air Force wrestler Nipuni Wasana and the wider medal haul marked “a significant milestone” for the Ministry’s Mission Olympic programme, which channels professional-grade coaching and facilities to athletes targeting future Olympic Games. Deputy Minister Thilakaratne said the Ministry remained “fully committed” to guiding athletes toward Olympic qualification.
The Sanya 2026 medallists honoured were:
- Gold: Nipuni Wasana — Beach Wrestling, women’s 50kg
- Silver: Ishara Samanmali — Beach Athletics, women’s long jump
- Silver: Women’s Kabaddi team
- Bronze: Jayathra Sampath — Beach Athletics, men’s long jump
- Bronze: Sashikala Lankathilaka — Beach Athletics, women’s long jump
- Bronze: Men’s Beach Athletics 4x60m relay team
- Bronze: Men’s Kabaddi team
Wasana’s gold was Sri Lanka’s first at the Sanya Games, claimed on April 29 against a Vietnamese opponent. The 17-strong contingent had travelled to Sanya in mid-April under the NOCSL banner. The felicitation comes a few weeks after Asanga Seneviratne’s election as NOCSL President on April 25, his first major engagement with returning national-level medallists.
Source: Daily FT.
