Arkam Rifas – Rising star of Sri Lankan hockey from Matale

Friday, 3 July 2026 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Arkam Rifas with the award for Best Player won at the Under-20 Junior AHF Cup Championship which concluded on 2 July in Kazakhstan

Arkam Rifas was born on 18 November 2007 in Matale, Sri Lanka, into a well-known sporting family. His father, Mohamed Rifas, is a Sri Lanka National Hockey Coach, and his mother is Fathima Raseeiya. Growing up in a family with a rich sporting background inspired Arkam to pursue excellence in hockey from a young age.

Arkam began his education at Zahira College, Matale, where he represented the college in hockey, cricket, football, and athletics. He was also a member of the Matale District Under-15 Cricket Team, demonstrating his all-round sporting ability.

He later joined Trinity College, Kandy, where he established himself as one of the country’s finest young hockey players.

As a proud Trinitian and Captain and Coloursman of the Trinity College Hockey Team has contributed immensely on winning many a Championship for his Alma Mater.

Arkam scored more than 130 goals at school, district, national, and international levels.

During his outstanding career, Arkam has represented:

Zahira College, Matale
Trinity College, Kandy (Captain)
Matale Schools Team
Kandy Schools Team
Matale District Junior Team
Sri Lanka Schools Hockey Team (Captain)
Sri Lanka Junior Under-18 Team (Vice Captain)
Sri Lanka Junior Under-20 Team
His major achievements include:
All-Island Under-16 Best Player
All-Island Under-18 Best Player
Multiple Best Player Awards in the prestigious Trinity College vs. Royal College hockey encounters
Multiple Best Player Awards in the Trinity College vs. St. Thomas’ College, Colombo hockey encounters
Best Player Award in the Junior Under-18 Asia Cup 2025 in China for his outstanding performance against Hong Kong
Represented Sri Lanka at the Junior AHF Cup 2026 in Kazakhstan
Best Player Award for the match against Tajikistan and Indonesia at the Junior AHF Cup 2026

Arkam Rifas is widely recognised as one of the best young strikers in Sri Lankan junior hockey. His exceptional goal-scoring ability, leadership, determination, and commitment have made him one of the country’s brightest young talents.

With his impressive achievements and dedication to the sport, Arkam Rifas is considered a future star of the Sri Lanka National Hockey Team.

Congratulations to Arkam Rifas on his remarkable journey so far. We wish him every success as he continues to make Sri Lanka proud on the international stage.