Inaugural Dialog Junior National Championship Volleyball Tournament kicks off

Dialog Axiata Senior General Manager – Brand and Media Harsha Samaranayake hands over official sponsorship to Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation President MP Dr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya. From left: Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation Tournament Committee Secretary Danapala Jayapathma, Dialog Axiata brand ambassadors Santhush Weeraman and Bathiya Jayakodi, Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation Vice President DIG R.M. Nimal Perera and Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation General Secretary A.S. Nalaka 

The country’s national sport gets another boost, as Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, Dialog Axiata PLC, together with the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation, launches the ‘Dialog National Junior Championship’ volleyball tourney, which will be utilised as a funnel for selections for the Sri Lanka development pool.

The U-23 junior tourney began on Saturday, at the picturesque Viharamahadevi Park Colombo, in parallel to International Youth Day. 

Over 1,625 teams from 25 districts participated in the competition to be worked off during a period of three months, with the grand finale scheduled to be played at the National Youth Services Council Indoor Stadium. The top 100 teams from the inter-district level will be picked from an intense three-day playoff and then proceed to the provincial level.

Teams may register for the ‘Dialog National Junior Championship’ by forwarding applications to the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation, District Coordinators and via the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation website where managers of registered teams will be contacted by the Volleyball Federation of Sri Lanka in due course.

“Tournaments like the ‘Dialog National Junior Championship’ are imperative to identify and nurture new talent to compete at an international level,” Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation President Dr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. “I use this opportunity to thank Dialog Axiata for their continuous support towards the uplifting of Sri Lanka’s national sport to an international level.” “As a company that is ubiquitous with the pulse of Sri Lankan lives, Dialog Axiata is once again pleased to have powered the game of Volleyball and empowered the youth of the country through sports,” Dialog Axiata Senior General Manager – Brand and Media Harsha Samaranayake said. “I wish the tournament all success.” The Sri Lanka U23 have made significant inroads at international levels and achieved a top eight finish at the recently concluded Asia Junior Men’s Volleyball Championship in Yangon, Myanmar.

Dialog Axiata is the official sponsor of the national cricket, rugby, netball and volleyball teams and is also closely associated with school’s cricket, club rugby, club football and Para Games.