MAS Holdings was announced as the official clothing partner of Team Sri Lanka for the Paris Olympic Games 2024 at a ceremony held in Colombo yesterday.
The official kits were handed over to the Sri Lanka Olympic contingent. The event coincided with the inauguration of the MAS Athlete
Training Academy, an initiative by MAS to identify, develop and support young athletes to successfully represent Sri Lanka at future Olympic Games.
The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) announced their final contingent for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games 2024 with the six-member contingent comprising three athletes – Dilhani Lekamge, Tharushi Karunarathne and Aruna Dharshana, two swimmers – Kyle Abeysinghe and Ganga Senevirathne as well as one badminton player, Viren Nettasinghe who will all be first time Olympians.
The members of the Sri Lankan contingent were felicitated by Co-founder and Chairman of MAS Holdings, Deshamanya Mahesh Amalean, who said: “Following some of the most turbulent times in our nation’s history, we believe that it is important now more than ever to tend the flame of Sri Lanka’s Olympic spirit and help inspire a new generation of Sri Lankans to pursue greatness on a global stage.”
The contingent kits were designed by Bodyline Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of MAS. The designs were inspired by the ancient Sri Lankan martial art form Angampora, depicted in the ancient carvings at the Ambekke Temple.
Speaking about the Academy, President of the NOCSL Suresh Subramaniam said: “Participating in the Olympic Games is a dream for any athlete. It is crucial for us to inspire the next generation of Olympians and looking at this year’s contingent, we can show them that this dream can become a reality.”
“We are confident in the potential of the academy to bring out the best in our athletes in the years ahead.”
The MAS Athlete Training Academy was established through a Rs. 650m investment over eight years and the MAS Athlete Training Academy inaugurated by MAS represents Sri Lanka’s single largest public-private-partnership in athletics development.
This is a partnership with the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Education, the NOCSL, the Sri Lanka Athletics Association (SLAA) and the Sri Lanka Olympian Association.
The Academy uses a comprehensive process to identify and nurture talented athletes from school-level upwards. This includes a holistic development programme combining focused training, world-class athletic gear, international exposure, and nutritional and educational support with funds and equipment provided directly to athletes and their respective coaches.
The first group of 56 high-performing athletes selected to the academy were present at the event with their parents, respective coaches and school principals to receive their certification.
Their ongoing performance and training metrics will be tracked by the academy using a best-in-class digital app to strengthen their competitiveness and encourage continuous improvement.
The Academy is the most significant in a series of efforts by MAS to support athletes and develop sports in Sri Lanka.(dailymirror)
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