Dialog felicitates national Paralympic team

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe handing over the Rs. 1 million cash award to Dinesh Priyantha Herath. Also present are Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Dialog Axiata Plc Group Chief Marketing Officer Amali Nanayakkara, Minister of Sports Dayasiri Jayasekara, Deputy Minister of Sports H.M.M. Harees and Sports Ministry Secretary Dr. D.M.R.B. Dissanayake

Dialog Axiata Plc, the sponsors of the national Paralympic contingent, felicitated the team after their spirited performance at the Rio Games. 

Dinesh Priyantha Herath of the Gajaba Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army bagged a bronze medal in the javelin (F46) with a distance of 58.23 meters, securing Sri Lanka its only medal at the Rio Paralympic Games. Devendra Jhajharia of India secured the gold medal while Chuliang Guo of China won the silver medal.

Herath received Rs. 1 million from Dialog Axiata for his heroics at the Paralympic Games and a further Rs. 1.5 million from the Ministry of Sports. Coach Rohitha Fernando received Rs. 250,000 from Dialog Axiata for his yeoman service in guiding Herath to a medal. 

Dialog Axiata, a longstanding partner of disabled sports in Sri Lanka, has been a sponsor of the National Paralympics Committee and the Sri Lanka Army Para Games Committee from 2015-2017, and has a long association with Paralympic sports in Sri Lanka with the company first sponsoring the Sri Lanka Paralympic contingent in 2000, followed by 2004 and 2008 as well as sponsorship of the National Sports Festival for the Disabled.

Dialog Axiata was also the proud sponsor of the Army Para Games for 2015, which empowers disabled serviceman to compete for top honours in 14  disciplines, including athletics, archery, badminton, cycling, shooting, table tennis, power lifting, wheelchair marathon, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair basketball, swimming, wheelchair volleyball, beach volleyball and  seven-a-side softball cricket.