Tuesday Aug 18, 2026
Tuesday Aug 18, 2026
Tuesday, 18 August 2026 10:32 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
From left: Akthab Cader, Michael Sathasivam, Hardy Jamaldeen, Gamindu Tennakoon, Minsandee Kalutotage, and Nilanka Pieris
Sri Lankan sport entered a new era with the official launch of the Lanka Rowing League, the country’s first-ever franchise-based rowing competition. Unveiled at a press conference at the Colombo Rowing Club, the new league will transform one of the country’s most historic sports into a fast-paced, city-based championship built around elite competition, team identity and passionate rivalry.
The inaugural Lanka Rowing League will feature six franchises representing Kandy, Sigiriya, Mirissa, Trinco, Galle and Colombo. On 19 and 20 December 2026, these teams will compete through a Group Stage and Semi-Finals before racing for the honour of becoming Sri Lanka’s first franchise rowing champions.
The competition will feature the Men’s Single Sculls (1x), Men’s Pair (2-), Women’s Double Sculls (2x) and Men’s Coxed Four (4+), bringing individual skill, team precision and high-stakes racing together in one championship.
The Lanka Rowing League is owned by Elevate Sports, led by co-owners Viren Beruwalage and Anuk Suraweera. Suraweera is a former oarsman who brings first-hand knowledge of the sport, while Colombo Aces Principal owner Beruwalage brings valuable franchise ownership experience. Together, they aim to build a league that respects the traditions of rowing while presenting the sport in a bold and accessible new format.
From left: Eventsitry Sports Co-Founder Ifham Arrif, Elevate Sports Lanka Co-Founders Viren Beruwalage and Anuk Suraweera, and Eventsitry Sports Co-Founder Karin Wijeratne
“This is more than the launch of a new league—it is a chance to redefine how Sri Lanka sees and experiences rowing,” said Beruwalage and Suraweera. “For the first time, cities will have teams to call their own, athletes will race with a new sense of identity and supporters will have rivalries to follow. We are taking rowing beyond the water and turning it into a national sporting spectacle.”
Elevate Sports will deliver the league in partnership with Eventistry Sports, a leader in Sri Lanka’s franchise-sports sector. Eventistry Sports owns the Sri Lanka Padel League, Ceylon Pickle League and Lanka Tennis League and manages and operates the Ceylon Golf League and The Next XV Franchise Rugby League. Its proven experience in developing franchise competitions, combined with the rowing and ownership knowledge within Elevate Sports, provides the Lanka Rowing League with a strong foundation for long-term growth.
The Kandy franchise is owned by Michael Sathasivam and Rajitha Siriwardana; Sigiriya by Akthab Cader and Ruvendran Weerasinghe; Mirissa by Gamindu Tennakoon, Sajaad Ajmal and Vimodha Abeywardene; Trinco by Hardy Jamaldeen and Shafras Rilwan; Galle by Imal Kalutotage, Minsandee Kalutotage and Seyara Alwis; and Colombo by Nilanka Pieris and Oceanie De Silva.
With six cities, four boat classes and one historic championship at stake, the Lanka Rowing League will place Sri Lankan rowing on a new national stage. Further announcements regarding the teams, athletes and inaugural championship will be made ahead of the opening races in December.
