Sri Lanka Esports Ready to Take on the Asian Games Challenge

The Sri Lanka Esports Association (SLESA) has confirmed the national teams set to represent Sri Lanka at the Asian Games 2026 Esports Qualifiers, which are being conducted throughout June 2026. The qualifiers serve as the official selection pathway to the 20th Asian Games, to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October 2026, where Esports will feature as a full medal event for the second consecutive time at the Games.

The national squads were confirmed following the successful conclusion of the Esports Nationals 2026, the official national qualifier conducted by SLESA. The Selection Committee of the Sri Lanka Esports Association, appointed by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, formalised the team selections, which were subsequently reviewed and approved by the National Sports Selection Committee. The process reflects SLESA’s commitment to a transparent, merit-based pathway for national representation in Esports.

Sri Lanka will field national teams across six titles at the qualifiers. The Identity V team is composed of Naveen “Cadenza” Senadheera, Dasun “Asuna9999” Ilandarage, Sandithi “SUM” Mathangaweera, and Anuja “MadRush” Gunasinghe and takes part in their qualifier in Singapore.

The Naraka: Bladepoint team features Sanjana “userSaico” Wijesingha, Tuan “SWITCHBL4DE” Rasheed, Malith “SuprBig_m4x” Withanage, and Agraja “Death” Perera and also takes part in their qualifier in Singapore.

The Honor of Kings squad comprises Janith “DELTA.YT” Dissanayake, Anjana “ANJI” Rathnayaka, Nesanda “RYUU” Matharage, Tharusha “NaKaL” Fernando and Emalka “YAKASHA” Karunathilaka, with Thenithan “B-6” Rasathurai serving as Coach. The squad travels to Malaysia to take part in their qualifiers.

Sri Lanka’s League of Legends team consists of Ashen “TheShyB0y” Tennakoon, Navindu “Que2” Chrishen, Dilshan “Luvtwo” Silva, Tharuka “KratoZ” Fernando, and Manusha “hydra” Jayasinghe, with Nishal “Nishastic” Ranaweerasinghe named as Substitute Athlete and Gamunu “ScorpionX” Nadeesh as Coach. The team will compete at their qualifier also in Malaysia.

In Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Sri Lanka will be represented by Shaluka “Viper” Wijerathna, Kavindu “Evil Jin” Dissanayake, Chithna “Cadenza” Tilanaka, Nisal “Ninnai” Abeykoon, and Praveen “Aizen” Fonseka, with Aseem “Zeyrox” Azsan as the Substitute Athlete and Ivan Upul De Silva as Coach. They will take part in their qualifier in Singapore.

The PUBG MOBILE squad comprises Dilshan “DilA31” Abeykoon, Shimal “PERFECT” Anthony, Sadeesha “SADIYA” Eshan and Avishka “Destro” Malisha, with Chanuka “MerashGZ” Lakshan as Substitute Athlete and Malindu “Woods” Theekshana as Coach. The team heads to Vietnam for their qualifier.

Each of the six national squads will be accompanied by a well-experienced team manager. Raveen Wijayatilake accompanies both the Naraka: Bladepoint and PUBG MOBILE teams while Vikum Jayasekera will oversee the League of Legends and Mobile Legends squads and Ramesh Liyanage will manage the Identity V and Honor of Kings teams.

“Sri Lankan Esports athletes who one dreamt of representing their country in Esports now have a chance to wear the national jersey and take part in Esports for a multisport event at the level of the Asian Games. Thanks to a structured pathway, we are now seeing players who are committed towards the sport realise their potential on the international stage. SLESA is confident that these teams will give their very best and regardless of the outcome, the experience of competing at an event of this calibre will only strengthen them, much like it has for Sri Lanka's athletes across traditional sports for generations.” said Ramesh Liyanage, Secretary of Sri Lanka Esports.

With the qualifiers now underway, Sri Lanka's national teams will compete against some of the strongest Esports talent across the continent. The Asian Games have always been about more than results. They represent the spirit of fair competition and the pursuit of excellence at the highest level. For Sri Lanka's Esports athletes, the experience of competing in that environment will be as significant as the outcome and one that will no doubt serve them well in the years ahead.

Dialog Axiata PLC continued its longstanding support as the Official Sponsor of the National Esports team in Sri Lanka. Powered by Dialog 5G Ultra, the country's fastest growing and #1 5G network, Dialog has been a driving force behind the rise of competitive Esports in the country, investing in the sport and its athletes long before it became the phenomenon it is today. Guided by the vision of Esports as the sport of the future, Dialog's continued commitment to powering  talent reflects a firm belief that this generation of Sri Lankan Esports athletes is just getting started.

Sri Lanka Esports continues to build on its vision of establishing the country as a competitive force in the regional Esports landscape. Supporters and fans can follow Sri Lanka Esports on Facebook (@srilankaesports), Instagram (@srilanka.esports) and TikTok (@srilankaesports) for live updates as the squads compete across Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam throughout June.