Sri Lanka at Asian Games 2026: Chasing a Second Straight Cricket Medal

After a breakout Hangzhou run and a historic cricket silver, Sri Lanka heads to Aichi-Nagoya carrying momentum — but also a major loss on the track.

26th at 2023 Hangzhou Games

1 Gold in 2023

5 Total Medals in 2023

26th

Finish at 2022/23 Hangzhou Games

Total Medals in 2023 (up from 0 in 2018)

All-Time Medals

Rugby Sevens Squad Named for 2026

Sri Lanka’s Asian Games Track Record

Sri Lanka went from a shutout in 2018 (best results were two 4th-place finishes) to five medals in Hangzhou: gold for Tharushi Karunarathna in the women’s 800m, silver for Nadeesha Lekamge in javelin (Sri Lanka’s first athletics medal in 17 years) and for the women’s cricket team in a historic first-ever cricket medal, plus bronze in both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays.

Edition	Rank	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2018 Jakarta-Palembang	Unranked	0	0	0	0
2022/23 Hangzhou	26th	1	2	2	5

Source: Sri Lanka at the 2018 Asian Games and Sri Lanka at the 2022 Asian Games, Wikipedia.

Sri Lanka’s Strongest Sports

Athletics is Sri Lanka’s dominant Asian Games discipline by far, accounting for 31 of the country’s 51 all-time medals (11 gold, 7 silver, 13 bronze), followed by weightlifting with 12 medals. The 2023 breakthrough added cricket as a genuine new medal source after the women’s team’s silver-medal run.

Sri Lanka’s Official Squads by Sport

Sri Lanka’s rugby sevens program is the furthest along with a named squad; most other sports remain unconfirmed as of this writing, and the national sprint program has taken a hit with a marquee retirement.

Confirmed via official federation/media sources

Sport	Key Named Athletes	Status
Rugby Sevens	28-player squad incl. Srinath Sooriyabandara, Kavindu Perera, Akash Madushanka, Dinal Ekanayake, Janindu Dilshan, Ravindu Anjula, Gamunu Chethiya, Chathura Soysa, Gayan Perera, Kavindu de Costa, Devinda Ratnayake	Confirmed

Reported but not yet formally finalized

Sport	Notes
Esports	National qualifier-stage rosters named across Honor of Kings, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and PUBG Mobile — incl. Janith “DELTA.YT” Dissanayake, Anjana “ANJI” Rathnayaka, Tharusha “NaKaL” Fernando, Shaluka “Viper” Wijerathna, Kavindu “Evil Jin” Dissanayake, Dilshan “DilA31” Abeykoon, Shimal “PERFECT” Anthony — but final Games qualification was not yet confirmed

Team confirmed, no roster yet / not found

Sports
Athletics, Cricket, Weightlifting, Swimming, Badminton, Wrestling, Judo

Note on sourcing: As of August 2026, Sri Lanka’s National Olympic Committee has not published a comprehensive multi-sport roster for Aichi-Nagoya — its recent public releases have concerned the separate 2026 Asian Beach Games in Sanya.

Storylines to Watch

A major loss on the track: national record holder and sprint star Yupun Abeykoon announced his retirement in July 2026, removing the country’s premier 100m/200m runner from contention. That puts more weight on 2023 medalists Tharushi Karunarathna (800m gold, relay bronze) and Nadeesha Lekamge (javelin silver) to carry the athletics program.

Cricket’s follow-up act: the women’s team will look to build on its historic 2023 silver — the country’s first-ever Asian Games cricket medal.

Esports growth: an expanding program across multiple titles signals real investment in the Games’ newer disciplines.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Sri Lanka perform at the last Asian Games?

Sri Lanka finished 26th at the 2022/23 Hangzhou Asian Games with 1 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals — 5 total, a big jump after finishing without a medal in 2018.

What is Sri Lanka’s strongest sport at the Asian Games?

Athletics, which accounts for 31 of Sri Lanka’s 51 all-time Asian Games medals, followed by weightlifting. Cricket became a new medal source after the women’s team’s 2023 silver.

Has Sri Lanka’s 2026 Asian Games roster been announced?

Only partially. Sri Lanka Rugby has named a 28-player sevens squad, and esports qualifier rosters exist, but athletics, cricket, and most other sports have no confirmed 2026 individual roster yet.