COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, July 25, 2025 (ePRESS) – The 2025 Dialog President’s Gold Cup Volleyball Tournament will kick off on August 16, beginning with matches in the Western Province, as announced at a special press conference held at the Dialog Axiata PLC Headquarters in Colombo on Thursday evening.
The tournament marks 20 years of Dialog Axiata’s proud support for Sri Lanka’s national sport—volleyball.
This year’s event carries deep meaning, celebrating two decades of empowering youth from village-level to national level, and continuing the legacy of the championship introduced in 1991 by the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa.
More than 4,000 teams from all parts of the island are expected to compete in the 2025 edition, which will be held in two phases—Provincial and National. Matches will start at the district level, with champions and runners-up moving to provincial finals. Top teams from each province will then advance to the national round.
Lasantha Thewarapperuma, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC, said:
“It is a great honour for us to support the youth of this country through the Dialog President’s Gold Cup. This tournament gives talented players a chance to grow from grassroots to national levels. As the leading supporter of sport in Sri Lanka, we are proud to carry this responsibility forward. We also thank the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation for their continued trust in us.”
Senior DIG Sajeeva Medawatta, President of the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation, added:
“To strengthen our national sport, we must bring forward the talent from our villages. Dialog’s support for over two decades is truly commendable. Many national and international players have come through this tournament. Dialog has also given continuous support to our junior and senior national teams.”
Applications for the tournament will close on July 31. Any registered sports club within a Divisional Secretariat area can apply, but players must have resided in that division for at least two years.
For nearly two decades, Dialog Axiata has not only promoted volleyball, but also supported Sri Lanka’s national teams in cricket, netball, Esports, and golf, while also playing a key role in Para-sports both locally and internationally.
As part of its mission to build future champions, Dialog also supports the President’s Gold Cup, national netball championships, and school rugby tournaments, while also promoting international rugby by recently sponsoring the visit of the New Zealand Under-85kg rugby team to Sri Lanka. Through these efforts, Dialog continues to help Sri Lanka’s athletes rise to the top.
