The Commonwealth Games Association of Sri Lanka has officially finalized its national delegation for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in Scotland, with the Games set to take place from July 23 to August 2.
The 40-member Sri Lankan team, made up of 27 men and 13 women, will compete across seven sports as the country looks to make its presence felt on the Commonwealth stage. The delegation will be led by Chef de Mission Niluka Karunaratne and General Team Manager Mohamed Rifath, while national javelin record holder P. Rumesh Tharanga has been named team captain. Adding further significance to the opening ceremony, decorated para-athlete and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Palitha Bandara will carry the Sri Lankan flag alongside baton bearer Janani Dhananjana.
Athletics makes up the largest part of the Sri Lankan team, with 20 athletes set to compete across a range of track and field events. The men’s field events will be led by team captain Rumesh Tharanga, who will compete in the javelin alongside high jumper S.A. Tharindu Dasun, triple jumper Yeshan Wishmitha Kumara, pole vaulter Arunthavarasa Puvitharan, and fellow javelin thrower R.M. Sumedha Ranasinghe.
On the track, Y. Chamod Yodhasinghe, D. Induwara Weeraratna, W. Malith Thamel, R. Roshan Dammika Ranathunga, and middle-distance runner D.M.S. Harsha Karunarathna will represent Sri Lanka in the sprint and running events. The hurdles and relay events will feature K.L. Ayomal Akalanka, A.L. Asitha Rathnasena, H.K. Kalinga Kumarage, K. Kalhara Idupa Silva, and S. Aruna Dharshana. With athletes competing across several disciplines, athletics will provide Sri Lanka with one of its broadest challenges at the Games. The team will be managed by I.M. Ranasinghe.
The women’s athletics team brings together a combination of emerging talent and experienced competitors. H.M. Nethmika Madushani Herath faces a demanding schedule, competing in both the long jump and triple jump, while experienced javelin thrower H.L.N. Dilhani Lekamge will look to challenge for a medal. The women’s running events will feature quarter-milers A.W.G. Jithma Wijethunga, B.S. Lakshima Mendis, and L.G. Araliya Sathsarani, giving Sri Lanka further representation on the track.
Para-athletics will also provide a major opportunity for Sri Lanka to challenge for honours. Leading the team is Palitha Bandara, who won a Commonwealth silver medal at the Birmingham 2022 Games and will once again be among the country’s leading medal hopes. His selection as flag bearer reflects his importance to the Sri Lankan sporting community, while his experience on the Commonwealth stage will be valuable to the team. The para-athletes will be supported by a specialist coaching team, including para-athletics coach B.M. Suresh Nalinda Senerath, as they prepare to compete in the field events.
Swimming will provide another opportunity for Sri Lankan athletes to test themselves against some of the Commonwealth’s best. The national swimming team will compete at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre from July 24 to 29 under the guidance of head coach and double Olympian Matthew Abeysinghe.
The men’s team will feature 18-year-old national champion M.F. Muhammad, who was added to the squad as a late replacement for Kyle Abeysinghe following a medical issue. Despite his young age, Muhammad will face a busy programme, competing in four events — the 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and 100m butterfly. His schedule will test both his versatility and his ability to perform across multiple events on the international stage.
The women’s swimming programme will be led by UK-based swimmer Minagi Rupesinghe, who trains at Oxford Brookes University and Wycombe Swimming. Rupesinghe will compete in the 200m backstroke, 100m backstroke, and 100m freestyle, bringing valuable international experience to Sri Lanka’s swimming campaign.
Artistic gymnastics will see one of the most notable additions to the Sri Lankan team, with 18-year-old Sri Lankan-American gymnast Tiana Sumanasekera making her senior Commonwealth Games debut for Sri Lanka. Sumanasekera arrives with an impressive international background, having represented the United States as a five-time U.S. National Team member and served as an alternate for Team USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Her decision to represent Sri Lanka adds an exciting new dimension to the country’s gymnastics programme and provides the team with an athlete who has competed at the highest levels of the sport. Sumanasekera will be joined by Nuyara Nisindi Fernando and Nadila Nethviru, who will compete in the all-around events.
The gymnastics team has been preparing under international trainer Janelle Leigh McDonald, who has brought her international experience and expertise to the squad as the athletes prepare for the demands of Commonwealth-level competition.
Weightlifting remains one of Sri Lanka’s traditional strengths at the Commonwealth Games, and the five-member team will be hoping to continue that success in Glasgow. The squad consists of three men and two women, with S.W.K.R. Supun Dilhara Somathilaka competing in the men’s 60kg category, K.C.A. Sandu Duthshan Jayawardhana in the 65kg category, and veteran lifter D.M. Indika Chaturanga Dissanayake taking on the highly competitive 71kg division.
The women’s team features J.G. Upamalika Ravihari Gunathilaka in the 48kg category and Chathurika Priyanthi Balage in the 86kg category. The lifters will compete from July 26 to 30 under national coach R.M. Rathnathilaka Bandara Wickramasinghe, with the team hoping to build on Sri Lanka’s successful medal campaign at the Birmingham 2022 Games.
Boxing and judo will complete Sri Lanka’s participation at Glasgow 2026, with the combat sports athletes looking to provide the country with further medal opportunities. The six-member boxing team consists of four men and two women: R.A. Nadeeka Pushpakumari, K.A. Keshani Hansika Kasthuri Arachchi, P.P. Rukmal Prasana, G.J.K. Ravindu Jayanath Kumara, Y. Sithija Prathap Sudamma, and K.G. Chamil Pathmasiri.
The boxers will compete in their respective weight categories from July 24 to August 1 under national technical coach Amila Aravinda Thiserra. With speed and movement forming an important part of their preparations, the Sri Lankan boxers will face the challenge of taking on a strong international field in the ring.
Sri Lanka’s final events will come in judo, where Chamara Nuwan Dharmawardhana and Vimukthi Priyankara Premarathna will represent the country in the men’s events. They will take to the mat from July 31 to August 2 under international technical manager and judo coach Asanka Detutis Aryachandra, giving Sri Lanka one final opportunity to add to its medal tally before the Games draw to a close.
With athletes competing in athletics, para-athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, weightlifting, boxing, and judo, Team Sri Lanka will head to Glasgow with a mix of experienced competitors, established medal hopes, and promising young talent.
The presence of athletes such as Palitha Bandara and Rumesh Tharanga provides leadership and experience, while the inclusion of young competitors such as M.F. Muhammad and Tiana Sumanasekera adds an exciting element to the team. At the same time, Sri Lanka’s weightlifters and para-athletes will carry the expectations that come with the country’s strong history of success at the Commonwealth Games.
As the Games get underway on July 23, Sri Lanka’s athletes will look to turn months of preparation into performances on the international stage. With medals in their sights and the national colours on their backs, Team Sri Lanka will aim to make Glasgow 2026 another memorable chapter in the country’s Commonwealth Games story.
Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Team Sri Lanka Event Schedule
Friday, July 24, 2026
- Swimming: Women’s 200m Backstroke (Heats and Finals)
- Swimming: Men’s 50m Butterfly (Heats and Semifinals)
- Gymnastics: Men’s & Women’s Artistic Qualifications & Team Finals
- Boxing: Men’s & Women’s Preliminary Rounds
Saturday, July 25, 2026
- Swimming: Women’s 100m Backstroke (Heats and Semifinals)
- Swimming: Men’s 50m Freestyle (Heats and Semifinals)
- Swimming: Men’s 50m Butterfly (Finals)
- Gymnastics: Men’s & Women’s All-Around Finals
- Boxing: Men’s & Women’s Preliminary Rounds
Sunday, July 26, 2026
- Swimming: Women’s 100m Freestyle (Heats and Semifinals)
- Swimming: Men’s 100m Freestyle (Heats and Semifinals)
- Swimming: Women’s 100m Backstroke (Finals)
- Swimming: Men’s 50m Freestyle (Finals)
- Gymnastics: Artistic Apparatus Finals (Day 1)
- Weightlifting: Men’s 60 kg and Women’s 48 kg Platforms
- Boxing: Men’s & Women’s Quarterfinals
Monday, July 27, 2026
- Swimming: Men’s 100m Butterfly (Heats and Semifinals)
- Swimming: Women’s 100m Freestyle (Finals)
- Swimming: Men’s 100m Freestyle (Finals)
- Athletics: Men’s 100m Round 1, Men’s High Jump Qualifying, Women’s Long Jump Qualifying
- Gymnastics: Artistic Apparatus Finals (Day 2 – Balance Beam)
- Weightlifting: Men’s 65 kg Platform
- Boxing: Men’s & Women’s Quarterfinals
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
- Swimming: Men’s 100m Butterfly (Finals)
- Athletics: Men’s 100m Semifinals & Finals, Men’s Triple Jump Qualifying, Mixed 4x400m Relay Round 1
- Weightlifting: Men’s 71 kg Platform
- Boxing: Men’s & Women’s Semifinals
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
- Athletics: Men’s 200m Round 1, Men’s 110m Hurdles Round 1 & Finals, Women’s Triple Jump Qualifying
- Weightlifting: Women’s 86 kg Platform
- Boxing: Men’s & Women’s Semifinals
Thursday, July 30, 2026
- Athletics: Men’s 200m Semifinals & Finals, Men’s 800m Round 1, Mixed 4x400m Relay Finals, Men’s Javelin Throw Qualifying
- Para-Athletics / Powerlifting: Integrated Para-Sport Event Finals
Friday, July 31, 2026
- Athletics: Men’s 400m Hurdles Round 1, Men’s Pole Vault Finals, Men’s High Jump Finals, Women’s Long Jump Finals
- Judo: Men’s Preliminary Rounds & Elimination Brackets
Saturday, August 1, 2026
- Athletics: Men’s Javelin Throw Finals, Men’s 800m Finals, Men’s 400m Hurdles Finals, Men’s Triple Jump Finals, Women’s Triple Jump Finals
- Boxing: Men’s & Women’s Medal Finals
- Judo: Men’s Final Block & Medal Rounds
