Sri Lanka’s champion Esports athletes were recognised and felicitated at the seventh Dialog – SLESA National Esports Awards Ceremony held recently at the BMICH Colombo, under the patronage of Amal Edirisooriya, Director General of Sports.
The Sri Lanka Esports Association was formed in 2010 by Gamer.LK and four other leading Esports clans with the aim of promoting and developing Esports in the country. Sri Lanka Esports played a crucial role in standardising Esports in the country, adhering to international standards and rules to prepare young Esports athletes to reach the international level.
The National Esports Awards ceremony which began in 2013, returned after a brief hiatus of three years due to the pandemic, to acknowledge and honour the Esports athletes who have continued to excel in their performance in the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Dialog Axiata, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider and prolific promoter of sports, has stepped forward as the proud sponsor of Sri Lanka Esports, empowering Sri Lanka’s youth to engage and grow in the field of Esports. Dialog recognises Esports as the sport of the future and has been empowering Esports in Sri Lanka for over a decade. Dialog aims to enable the training and development of vital skills for Esports athletes locally and help bring structured Esports to all citizens of Sri Lanka.
The best-performing Esports athletes and clans of 2019, 2020 and 2021 were recognised at the event while the Esports athletes and clans who excelled in 2022 were awarded on stage. Maximum Esports was crowned as the Best Esports Clan of the year 2022 with many of its members also walking away with individual performance awards.
In a first for Sri Lanka and the South Asian region, the ceremony awarded Sri Lanka Esports National Colors to 39 Esports athletes who have represented the country on the international stage. This prestigious award is meant to encourage the next generation of Esports athletes to compete and strive for the highest possible level of excellence.
“Athletes and competitive organisations form the core of any sport, and Sri Lanka Esports strives to recognise the best performers and biggest contributors to the Sri Lankan Esports scene. The DIALOG-SLESA National Esports Awards puts the athlete front and center and acknowledges the feats of skill they’ve displayed both at home and abroad” said Raveen Wijayatilake, President of Sri Lanka Esports.
“We are thrilled to congratulate all the winners this year. At Dialog, we are proud to be the sponsor of Sri Lanka Esports and we are excited to continue our support in empowering local Esports athletes and promoting Esports as the sport of the future”, said Harsha Samaranayake, Vice President, Brand and Media – Group Marketing of Dialog Axiata PLC.
Sri Lanka Esports looks forward to the future with excitement and determination to continue its efforts in making Esports the number one sport in Sri Lanka. With the support of Dialog and other partners, Sri Lanka Esports aims to provide an environment for Esports athletes to develop their skills and compete at the highest levels internationally.
Dialog Axiata is the proud sponsor of the Sri Lanka National Cricket, Volleyball, Netball and Esports teams. The Company also has a close association with the President’s Gold Cup Volleyball, National Junior and Senior Netball tourneys, Schools Rugby, Premier Football and Paralympic sports by powering the Army Para Games, National Para Games and the Sri Lankan contingent to the World Paralympic Games.