
This country needs a sportsperson with love and good character, not a sportsperson who can be sold for money – Sports Minister
The achievements achieved by resorting to shortcuts such as banned stimulants are very temporary – Deputy Sports Minister
2025 – According to the Kreeda Shakthi program, the Sports Development Department, under the supervision of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, is currently working to award scholarships to 900 sportspersons aged 18 to 20 who have shown high performance in national junior level competitions and are engaged in sports training in 21 selected sports.
The initial phase of the awarding of scholarships to over 300 sportspersons was held today (May 28) at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under the patronage of Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage and Deputy Minister of Sports Sugath Thilakaratne.
Participating in the event, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage said that the survival of sports in this country depends on all the sportspersons, and that the country needs sportspersons with love and good character, not sportspersons who can be sold for money, and that the government will take necessary measures to provide the necessary facilities to the sportspersons to move forward based on their talent.
The Deputy Minister of Sports said that there should be no shortcuts to success such as doping, and that the successes achieved in this way are very temporary, and that efforts should be made to hone skills through training and achieve success.
Currently, many school students are staying away from sports due to the need to receive education, and that athletes should continue to pursue sports and education without giving up, giving equal attention to sports and education. The Deputy Minister of Sports further expressed his hope that this scholarship will provide some encouragement to athletes to stay in sports.