The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (; ) is a ministry in the Government of Sri Lanka which has the mandate to promote the role of sports in Sri Lankan culture and society. As of end September 2025, Sunil Kumara Gamage is the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, an appointment to the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. He was named as minister in November 2024.
History The ministry was initially created in 1966 to help bring the varied sports initiatives together as part of the portfolio of the Ministry of Nationalised Services. The first Minister was V. A. Sugathadasa, the first Secretary was Dr. H. S. R. Gunawardena and the first Director was Austin Rajakaruna. In 1970 the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Sports was established. In 1989 this entity was renamed the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and subsequently in 2000 as the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. In 2004 it was called the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, in 2007 the Ministry of Sports and Public Recreation of Sports and finally in 2010 the Ministry of Sports.
As of 2022 it is called the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs.
List of ministers
Parties
Name Portrait Party Tenure V. A. Sugathadasa United National Party 1966 - 1970 Kiri Banda Ratnayake Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1972 - 1977 Vincent Perera United National Party 1977 - 1988 Nanda Mathew United National Party 1989 - 1993 S. B. Dissanayake Sri Lanka Freedom Party 1994 - 2001 Mangala Samaraweera Sri Lanka Freedom Party 2001 Lakshman Kiriella United National Party 2001 - 2002 Johnston Fernando United National Party 2002 - 8 April 2004 Jeewan Kumaranatunga Sri Lanka Freedom Party 8 April 2004 - 28 January 2007 Gamini Lokuge United National Party (D) 28 January 2007 - 23 April 2010 C. B. Rathnayake Sri Lanka Freedom Party 23 April 2010 - 22 November 2010 Mahindananda Aluthgamage Sri Lanka Freedom Party 22 November 2010 – 12 January 2015 Navin Dissanayake United National Party 19 January 2015 - 4 September 2015 Dayasiri Jayasekara Sri Lanka Freedom Party 4 September 2015 - 12 April 2018 Faiszer Musthapha Sri Lanka Freedom Party 12 April 2018 - 15 December 2018 Harin Fernando United National Party 20 December 2018 - 15 November 2019 Dullas Alahapperuma Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna 22 November 2019 – 12 August 2020 Namal Rajapaksa Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna 12 August 2020 – 3 April 2022 Roshan Ranasinghe Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna 23 May 2022 – 27 November 2023 Harin Fernando Samagi Jana Balawegaya 27 November 2023 - 2024
References
External links Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs