The 35th edition of the National Youth Sports Festival (2025), the island nation’s prime and glamorous youth sporting event, concluded at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Diyagama, recently. Even the powerful cyclone Ditwa couldn’t stop the Kandyan athletes from roaring as they secured the championship after a commanding victory. With this remarkable achievement, the reign of Gampaha District, which spanned over 8 years, came to an end.
During this sporting rally, more than 3,000 athletes from all over the island took part in 14 distinct sporting disciplines (athletics, carrom, chess, basketball, badminton, beach volleyball, volleyball, elle, softball cricket, kabaddi, netball, football, tug-of-war and swimming). The elite youth competition was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports with the collaboration of the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) and respective sports administrating bodies.
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After a highly competitive series of encounters and races, Kandy District became the champions with a mammoth 164 points. After being the consecutive champions for a record eight years, Gampaha District fell to the runners-up position with an impressive 136 points. Meanwhile, Colombo District secured the third position with 88 points. Third and fourth runners-up positions were clinched by Urban Youth and Kalutara District. Apart from the breakthrough victory by Kandy District, Jaffna District also displayed remarkable progress by reaching the top ten. Mullativu and Killinochchi Districts failed to put up any points on the table. Surprisingly, Matale District also finished the competition without any points, becoming a problem child for the authorities as far as the district-level investments in sports are concerned.
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The closing ceremony was graced with the presence of the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage, Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Dinindu Saman Hennayake, Deputy Minister of Sports Sugath Tillakaratne, the Chairman of the National Youth Services Council, the Director General of Youth Affairs of Sri Lanka, Attorney-at-Law Supun Wijeratne and a few other distinguished guests.
Pos. District Points
1 Kandy District 164
2 Gampaha District 136
3 Colombo District 88
4 Urban Youth District 75
5 Kalutara District 73
6 Kurunegala District 66
6 Galle District 66
8 Matara District 53
9 Anuradhapura District 41
10 Jaffna District 38
11 Ampara District 33
12 Hambantota District 29
12 Puttalam District 29
14 Rathnapura District 26
14 Kegalle District 26
16 Baticaloa District 18
17 Monaragala District 15
18 Vavuniya District 14
19 Badulla District 13
20 Polonnaruwa District 08
21 Trincomalee District 03
21 Mannar District 03
23 Nuwara-Eliya District 02
Winners List – 35th National Youth Sports Festival (2025)
Badminton (Men’s)
1 Colombo District
2 Galle District
3 Mannar District
Best Player – K.H. Bhushenal (Colombo)
Badminton (Women’s)
1 Galle District
2 Urban Youth District
3 Colombo District
Best Player – W. Chathumi Kavihara (Galle)
Chess (Mens)
1 Matara District
2 Galle District
3 Anuradhapura District
Chess (Womens)
1 Kalutara District
2 Urban Youth District
3 Galle District
Carrom Singles Womens
1 Kandy District
2 Colombo District
3 Rathnapura District
Carrom Singles Mens
1 Colombo District
2 Kandy District
3 Jaffna District
Carrom Doubles Womens
1 Kandy District
2 Batticaloa District
3 Galle District
Carrom Doubles Mens
1 Kandy District
2 Colombo District
3 Urban Youth District
Tug of War Womens
1 Gampaha District
2 Galle District
3 Vavuniya District
Tug of War Mens
1 Colombo District
2 Puttalam District
3 Gampaha District
Beach Volleyball (Womens)
1 Hambanthota District
2 Kurunegala District
3 Kegalle District
Beach Volleyball (Mens)
1 Anuradhapura District
2 Galle District
3 Gampaha District
Kabbadi Womens
1 Urban Youth District
2 Kurunegala District
3 Kegalle District
Best Player – Jeewarathnam Nilusha (Urban Youth)
Kabbadi Mens
1 Ampara District
2 Anuradhapura District
3 Kalutara District
Best Player – M.S. Mohammed Arsaf (Ampara)
Softball Cricket Womens
1 Hambanthota District
2 Kurunegala District
3 Monaragala District
Best Player K.A. Sadeesha Nishadini (Hambanthota)
Softball Cricket Mens
1 Kurunegala District
2 Polonnaruwa District
3 Ampara District
Best Player – K.D. Randil Ruchira Senarathne (Kurunegala)
Volleyball Womens
1 Gampaha District
2 Hambanthota District
3 Ampara District
Best Player – A. Dushyanthi Liyanage (Gampaha)
Volleyball Mens
1 Gampaha District
2 Kurunegala District
3 Badulla District
Best Player – M.M. Heshan (Gampaha)
Netball Womens
1 Kurunegala District
2 Jaffna District
3 Galle District
Best Player – D.L.H.K.D. Ranhiru (Kurunegala)
Netball Mens
1 Rathnapura District
2 Jaffna District
3 Kegalle District
Best Player – B.G. Chathura Samindra (Rathnapura)
Elle Womens
1 Hambanthota District
2 Puttalama District
3 Gampaha District
Best Player – A. Nethmi Tharaka (Hambanthota)
Elle Mens
1 Gampaha District
2 Colombo District
3 Hambanthota District
Best Player – A.I. Kaushalya Balasooriya (Gampaha)
Football Womens
1 Jaffna District
2 Kurunegala District
3 Kalutara District
4 Galle District
Best Player – Siveshwaran Tharmika (Jaffna)
Football Mens
1 Batticaloa District
2 Not awarded due to disciplinary matter
3 Jaffna District
4 Nuwara-Eliya District
Basketball Womens
1 Jaffna District
2 Galle District
3 Urban Youth District
Best Player – Shahana Vijayaruban (Jaffna)
Basketball Mens
1 Galle District
2 Batticaloa District
3 Gampaha District
Best Player – T.A.B. Prathibhapoorna (Galle)
Swimming
50m X4 Freestyle Relay – Men’s
1 Kandy District – 1.47.46 minutes
2 Colombo District – 1.48.57 minutes
3 Matara District – 1.51.84 minutes
50 m X4 Freestyle Relay – Women’s
1 Kandy District – 2.10.69 minutes
2 Urban Youth – 2.22.48 minutes
3 Gampaha District – 2.22.98 minutes
50m Freestyle – Men
1 P. K. M. Thenuwara Colombo 24.63s New Meet Record
2 Helaka Jayasinghe Kandy 25.48s
3 A. R. Faham Matara 25.70s
50m Freestyle – Women
1 W. H. P. Fernando Puttalam 29.58s New Meet Record
2 S. N. Gamage Kandy 30.86s
3 S. D. Guruge Matara 31.47s
100m Backstroke – Men
1 Sandupa Hingulwala Kandy 1:05.46 New Meet Record
2 G. V. P. Mendis Kalutara 1:08.24
3 H. Faham Matara 1:11.78
100m Backstroke – Women
1 A. Manthuli Jayasinghe Kalutara 1:14.25 New Meet Record
2 P. S. B. S. D. Senanayaka Urban Youth 1:16.14
3 Dewanga Hingulwala Kandy 1:16.28
1500m Freestyle – Men
1 D. M. C. K. Dissanayaka Kandy 19:12.72 New Meet Record
2 H. Faham Matara 19:16.41
3 M. S. A. Salman Faris Colombo 19:39.52
800m Freestyle – Women
1 K. Shemira Kandangama Kandy 11:39.45 New Meet Record
2 S. M. Tennakoon Kalutara 12:42.87
3 R. M. C. N. Bandara Kurunegala 13:16.63
, the island nation’s prime and glamorous youth sporting event, concluded at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Diyagama, recently. Even the powerful cyclone Ditwa couldn’t stop the Kandyan athletes from roaring as they secured the championship after a commanding victory. With this remarkable achievement, the reign of Gampaha District, which spanned over 8 years, came to an end.){kind=link}