The Sri Lanka Sports Association of Queensland is a member partner in the Federation of Sri Lankan Organisations of Queensland’s annual Sri Lanka Day to be held on Sunday, October 11.
The event will take place at Rocks Riverside Park, Seventeen Mile Rocks.
Since its establishment in 2007, the SLSAQ has been a vibrant force supporting sports development and cross-cultural engagement across Sri Lanka and Australia.
With a clear focus on empowering youth and promoting inclusivity through sport, the association has contributed more than $20,000 toward enhancing cricket infrastructure in Sri Lanka, assisting Sri Lankan athletes, and backing local Brisbane teams.
Annually, we host two major events – the Carnival of Cricket, a dynamic two-day tournament held in Brisbane, and a social golf tournament. Since 2015, the Carnival of Cricket has enjoyed ongoing support from the Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government’s Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport, reflecting its growing reputation as a unifying community celebration.
SLSAQ is equally proud of its commitment to women’s netball. The association backs a multicultural team, the Sapphires (Division 3), and the youth team, Hotshots (Cannon Hill District Netball Association, Division 5).
Expanding into athletics, SLSAQ has embraced opportunities to support emerging and established athletes. In 2025, Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, a javelin thrower, participated in a training program in Brisbane, supported by SLSAQ with professional footwear. In 2026 he won the gold medal throwing 89.75 metres at the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, Scotland.
Rumesh followed this up by winning the Asian Games javelin gold medal in Japan two weeks ago. He has also been nominated for the 2026 Men’s World Athlete of the Year award, following a sensational season on the international athletics circuit.
In 2024, a sprinter from Matara Central College received athletics performance shoes and later secured a bronze medal in the 4 × 400m relay at the U20 Asian Athletics Championships in the UAE.
A significant milestone came in 2023, when the Sri Lankan Para Athletics Team visited Brisbane. The Association mobilised community support to fund accommodation, provide 16 pairs of training shoes, and contribute meals and gifts for the athletes and their families. The team’s performance—gold in javelin and silver in shot put—was a proud testament to resilience and international camaraderie.
In 2026, Palitha Bandara won a silver medal in discus at Glasgow Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
Today, we are in preparation for the Carnival of Cricket to be held in the near future.
Through every initiative, SLSAQ continues to champion sport as a pathway to opportunity, unity, and international goodwill—bridging communities and inspiring the next generation.
