Sri Lanka field 77 at Beach Games

 Participants at the special orientation workshop for the contingent ahead of the Asian Beach Games

By Susil Premalal

The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) has decided to field a 77-member athlete contingent in eight sports at the Asian Beach Games 2026, scheduled to be held in China from April 22 to 30.

Conducted under the auspices of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the Asian Beach Games will be the first major multi-sport event in Asia in 2026. 

Sri Lanka’s athlete representation both men and women will be in sailing, wrestling, volleyball, athletics, kabaddi, basketball, handball and aquatic sports. 

The delegation will also include 15 officials bringing the total Sri Lanka contingent to 92.

A special orientation workshop for athletes, officials and coaches was recently held at the NOCSL Auditorium. The programme opened with remarks by NOCSL Secretary General Rifdy Fahmy, followed by a team briefing by Chef de Mission Samith Thilina who also represents Sri Lanka Life Saving.

Medical preparedness was addressed by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sherika Samarasinghe, Consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine at the Air Force, focusing on athlete health and injury prevention. 

An Anti-Doping Education and Learning (ADEL) session was conducted by the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency led by Director General Shiromi Pilapitiya and Deputy Director Chamath Srinika.

Given the coastal nature of the Games, strong emphasis was placed on water safety, with a dedicated awareness session conducted as part of the programme.