Revised schedule announced for 49th National Sports Festival

By Susil Premalal

The 49th National Sports Festival (NSF) is set to begin this month with a packed schedule of 33 sports events spread across Galle, Matara, and Colombo, following a revised timetable announced by the Ministry of Sports and the Department of Sports Development.

The festival officially begins with the marathon, cycling, and race walking events on July 19 and 20, to be held in Hikkaduwa and Galle. These endurance events mark the opening competitions of the inter-provincial segment of the NSF, which will run from July 18 to August 31 in the Southern and Western provinces.

During the same period, tug-of-war, softball cricket, volleyball, and netball will be staged in Galle and Matara. Combat and strength sports such as wrestling, wushu, taekwondo, and weightlifting are scheduled from July 25 to 27 at the Torrington Indoor Stadium in Colombo.

From August 1 to 3, Colombo will also host swimming, judo, rugby, gymnastics, hardball cricket, table tennis, hockey, and badminton, while a diverse set of disciplines — including chess, handball, carrom, elle, karate-do, beach kabaddi, basketball, boxing, bodybuilding, football, beach volleyball, and athletics — will take place in Galle and Matara from August 13 to 31.

The highlight of the festival, the track and field athletics championship, is scheduled for August 29–31 at the District Sports Complex in Dadalla, Galle. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya will grace the opening ceremony on August 29 as the chief guest, and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is expected to attend the closing ceremony on August 31.

Notably, the first event of the NSF 2025 — the National Cross Country Championship — was already conducted in March in Nuwara Eliya.