The SLT Silk Sports Awards Ceremony 2019 organised by sportsinfo.lk and sponsored by Sri Lanka Telecom was held for the fifth year at the BMICH recently. SLT Silk Sports Awards is an annual event which is an ambitious step to further validate the value of contribution of the people to sports in many ways.
The awards acknowledge local sporting heroes who have excelled in their respective sporting fields during the year 2019.
The 1996 World Cricket legend, the Captain Cool Arjuna Ranatunga present on the occasion as the chief guest.
A veteran national sports administrator Sunil Jayaweera has been recognized with a prestigious SLT SILK Lifetime Achievement Award and he received his award from the co-head of the jury Rear Admiral Dr. Shemal Fernando. The SLT SILK Lifetime Achievement Awards, given every year to one sports personality, is an initiative of the SILK Jury to recognise the important role models in the sporting arena on the road to their sporting achievements.
Sri Lankan opening batting hero Roshan Mahanama – one of the greatest in the game in the modern era – is also recognized as the ‘Duncan White Sports Excellence and Contribution’ award winner.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka’s promising swimmer, Mathew Abeysinghe, the SAG seven gold medalist won the ‘Outstanding Sports Personality of the Year award, while Nalanda captain Laksitha Manasinghe was named as the Outstanding School Sports Personality of the Year, following his records breaking performances in 2019.
The ICC deaf cricket world champions were named as the team of the year at the 5th SILK Sports Awards. ICC world rank 01 cricket umpire Kumar Dharmasena was named as the Most Outstanding contributor for International Sports.
The Outstanding Sports Scientific Publication of the Year award was won by Dr. Samantha Nanayakkara who obtained the PHD for sports psychology recently. National weightlifting coach R. B. Wickremasinghe was named the Outstanding Coach of the Year.
Veteran sports writer Dinesh Weerawansa who was honoured for his services in promoting sports in Sri Lanka for the past 33 years was recognized as the ‘Outstanding Contributor to Sports Journalism’, while the ‘Electronic, Social and Digital Media Program’ award went to SLRC Beyond the Boundaries.
The Special Jury were co headed by Harsha B. Abeykoon and Rear Admiral Dr. Shemal Fernando.
(Pix Rukmal Gamage)