Thilan Rangana honoured and recognised by Laureus World Sports Awards

Sri Lanka’s foremost innovative and energetic sports promoter, Thilan Rangana, Chairman of SPORTSINFO, has been invited from Sri Lanka to be part of the renowned Laureus World Sports Award’s prestigious Panel of Nominees for the third year in succession. He has now been bestowed this rare honour to select the world’s Best Sport Personalities for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018.

The Laureus World Sports Awards held in the month of February annually, celebrates the most noteworthy men and women in the world of sports along with their unique achievements in the previous calendar year. Thus, the winners for the current year will be identified in February 2019.

The winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards are chosen by a Panel of Nominees consisting of the world’s foremost personalities who have committed to promote sports. Such eminent personalities selected from around the world will initially vote to shortlist six nominees under each of the five prestigious categories – Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, Laureus World Team of the Year, Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year and Laureus World Comeback of the Year.

Then, the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy select the Final Award winners vote by secret ballot. The Academy is also empowered to recognise sports personalities under the Discretionary Awards such as Lifetime Achievement, Spirit of Sport and Exceptional Achievement.

Ever since its inception in 2000, the Laureus Annual Awards Ceremony has been admired across the world as the most celebrated event in the sporting calendar that recognises the most remarkable men and women in the world of sport along with their greatest achievements and the sports promoters as well as sports fans have admired the magnificent event year after year.

The Laureus movement had a memorable beginning. The inaugural event was graced by none other than the legendary President Nelson Mandela, who was named the Laureus Patron and was bestowed the singular honour of creating the Laureus Sport for Good programme. He made the event remarkable with an inspiring speech. Laureus Sport for Good, uses the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage, proving that sport can change the world. Sport for Good now supports over 100 projects in 35 countries around the world including Sri Lanka.

SPORTSINFO is the No. 1 sports promotion company in Sri Lanka started in 2014 with the launching of the sports news web; sportsinfo.lk

In 2015, under the dynamic leadership of Thilan Rangana, SPORTSINFO organised and hosted the inaugural ‘SILK Sports Awards’ ceremony. It is now an annual event recognised as an ambitious step to further validate the significance of contributions by sporting personalities of Sri Lanka to uplift sports in numerous ways. It is the first ever sport event of such magnitude hosted in the history of Sri Lanka. Now, the SILK Sports Awards is regarded as Sri Lanka’s foremost sporting event that tributes the notable contributions to sports by the sports fraternity throughout the present and past years. 

Besides, the visionary leadership of Thilan Rangana contributed in no small way towards the introduction and implementation of the extraordinary concept of ‘SPORTEX – Sri Lanka’s First National Sports Exhibition in 2015’, which has become one of the best sports brands in Sri Lanka.

Befittingly, in recognition of the significant contributions towards promotion of sports, SPORTSINFO was selected as the runners up under the category of ‘Most Outstanding Sports Promoter & Sponsor of the Year’ at the Presidential Sports Awards in 2015.

A year later, SPORTSINFO was awarded for the ‘Most Outstanding Sports Promoter & Sponsor of the Year – Bronze Award’ and the ‘Most Outstanding Sports Electronic Production of the Year – Runners Up’ at the Presidential Sports Awards 2016, in recognition of the Sporting Excellence, Achievements and in Appreciation of the Dedicated Services and Determined Commitments.

To showcase his compassion towards the local community Thilan Rangana formed the ‘SILK Sports for Children Foundation’ in 2016. It is totally committed to improve the quality of the lives of children of all ages that fall below the poverty level by equipping them with sports and education facilities.

SILK Foundation could boast of inspirational sporting figures who have championed the cause in their respective spheres and are spearheading the numerous campaigns launched to raise awareness amongst the needy of the struggles faced by these children living with poverty.

Amidst such notable feats to his credit, Thilan Rangana stepped up to launch ‘The Cricket Inspiration Gamini Dissanayake Lecture’ in May 2018. It is aimed to boost the mindset of emerging Cricketers in Sri Lanka and promote the sport to greater heights.

The sports desk congratulate Thilan Rangana on his rare achievements and wish him many more accolades as the country’s foremost innovative sports promoter!