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19th Asian Games to kick off at Hangzhou in China Today

Published

2 years ago

September 23, 2023

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The 19th edition of the Asian Games is all set to kick off today in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.

Delayed by a year due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the 19th edition of the event is set to officially begin with a two-hour opening ceremony from 5.30pm.

The opening ceremony for the Asian Games will take place at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, which is capable of accommodating up to 80,000 people.

The stadium was completed in 2018 and is mostly used for soccer matches, features a retractable roof, a circular LED screen, and a natural grass field.

Dating back to 1951, the Games are bigger than the Olympics when it comes to the number of athletes and sports – and this year’s competition is billed as the biggest in history.

Nearly 12,500 athletes – more than ever – from 45 countries and territories will be competing across 40 sports. The Games will be held in 56 venues, 12 of which have been newly built.

The programme includes the more traditional events, such as athletics and swimming but also those which reflect Asia’s diverse sporting culture, such as sepak takraw, or kick volleyball, kabaddi, and wushu, a martial art.

China, as the host country, has the privilege of choosing which sports to include in the programme, with bridge, chess and Xiangqi (Chinese chess) being among the non-Olympic events featured in the schedule.

Meanwhile, e-sports, breakdancing and sport climbing will be making their Games debut, in an effort to attract the interest of younger people.

FIFA Online 4, Street Fighter V and League of Legends are among the seven e-sport medal events.

The Games will see participants competing for 481 gold medals across 15 days.

Sri Lanka is fielding a 96-member contingent with 62 male and 34 female athletes.

The closing ceremony on October 8 will include the handover to Japan before the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Games.

Qatar will host the Asian Games in 2030.

News

SL squad announced for T20I series against B’desh

Published

1 hour ago

July 7, 2025

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Sri Lanka Cricket has announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, set to begin on July 10.

The squad will be led by Charith Asalanka, with notable inclusions such as Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Wanindu Hasaranga, and the return of experienced all-rounders Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne.

Match Schedule:

1st T20I on July 10th – PICS, Kandy

2nd T20I on July 13th – RDICS Dambulla

3rd T20I on July 16th – RPICS Colombo

The T20I squad is as follows :

News

Sanjog Gupta named ICC CEO

Published

1 hour ago

July 7, 2025

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the appointment of Sanjog Gupta as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Sanjog will assume office on July 7th, 2025, becoming the 07th CEO of the ICC.

Sanjog Gupta currently serves as CEO – Sports & Live Experiences at JioStar and brings with him over two decades of cross-functional experience.ICC Chairman, Jay Shah said: “I am pleased to announce that Sanjog Gupta has been appointed as the CEO of the ICC. Sanjog brings extensive experience in sports strategy and commercialisation, which will be invaluable for the ICC.

“His deep understanding of the global sports as well as M&E landscape combined with his continued curiosity about the cricket fan’s perspective and passion for technology will prove essential in our ambition to grow the game in the coming years. Our goal is to move beyond traditional boundaries and establish cricket as a regular sport in the Olympics, growing its expanse across the world and deepening its roots in its core markets.

“We considered several exceptional candidates for this position, but the Nominations Committee unanimously recommended Sanjog. The ICC Board Directors look forward to working closely with him, and I would like to welcome him on behalf of everyone at the ICC.”

Sanjog Gupta, ICC CEO-designate, commented: “It is a privilege to have this opportunity, especially at a time when cricket is poised for unprecedented growth and enjoys the passionate support of almost 2 billion fans worldwide. These are exciting times for the sport as marquee events grow in stature, commercial avenues widen and opportunities such as the women’s game scale in popularity. Cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the rapid acceleration of technology deployment/adoption could act as force-multipliers for the Cricket movement around the world .”

“I look forward to contributing to the next phase of cricket’s evolution, expanding its global footprint, enhancing the fan experience, and working closely with ICC Member Boards to build on our strong foundations.”

(Excerpts : ICC)

News

Arrested daughter of neurosurgeon, remanded

Published

1 hour ago

July 7, 2025

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The 21-year-old daughter of Dr. Maheshi Surasinghe Wijerathna, a consultant neurosurgeon attached to Sri Jayawardenapura General Hospital, has been remanded until July 09.

She was arrested earlier today by the Keselwatta Police for allegedly threatening an official of the Bribery Commission and subsequently produced before courts.

Earlier, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court remanded Dr. Wijerathna and two others over allegations of selling medicines at inflated prices through a third party.