14th Defence Services Games begins in Welisara
The opening ceremony of the 14th Defence Services Games was held at Wave n' Lake, Welisara today (14 August 2026), under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd).
Hosted by the Sri Lanka Navy, this tournament has been organized under the guidance of the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Damian Fernando, who is also the incumbent President of the Defence Services Sports Board.
The ceremonial proceedings got underway with the lighting of the Defence Services Games Olympic Torch. A highlight of the event was the presence of four (4) veteran athletes who have represented Sri Lanka. In a moving tribute, they were honoured with tokens of appreciation for their significant contributions to the games.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Defence officially opened the Defence Services Games, a sporting event aimed at strengthening unity, sportsmanship, and esprit de corps within the armed forces.
More than 4,000 athletes are set to take part in this year's games, competing across 39 sport disciplines. The athletes representing the Tri-Forces make a significant contribution to bringing national and international sporting achievements to the motherland. Accordingly, the 2026/2027 Defence Services Sports Games will identify a large number of talented new athletes from the Tri-Forces and, in turn, provide those athletes with the opportunity to represent them at national and international level competitions in the future.
The colourful event was also attended by the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Nilantha Premaratne, the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, along with a group of senior officers from the Tri-Forces and athletes.