Dialog powers Sri Lanka team
Sri Lanka’s Mobile Telecom Market Leader Dialog Axiata PLC.,
announced yesterday the commencement of a Three (03) Year partnership
with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as the Sponsor of Sri Lanka’s National
Cricket Team. The National Team sponsorship title encompasses both Men’s
and Women’s national cricket teams across all forms of the game spanning
Test, One Day and T20 played in Sri Lanka and overseas.
Dialog – voted by Sri Lankan consumers as the Telecom Services
Provider of the Year for the second year in succession at the
SLIM-Nielsen Peoples Choice Awards, takes on the mantle of powering
Cricket - the national sporting passion of Sri Lankans with effect from
the 1st of June 2013.
“It is with great pride that we commence this flagship partnership
with Sri Lanka Cricket as the Sponsor of the National Cricket Teams,”
said Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya speaking on the occasion of the sponsorship
announcement. “Our nation has honoured us with the opportunity of
connecting over 7.8 Million Sri Lankan citizens and millions of homes
and enterprises with our portfolio of Mobile, Broadband, Fixed Line and
Digital Television services, and it is a singular privilege to join our
customers and fellow Sri Lankans in their passion for Cricket and the
quest for continued excellence on the international arena” he added.
The announcement of the partnership between Dialog and SLC was
followed by the symbolic hand over of the new playing livery featuring
the Dialog Brand to Sri Lanka Captain Angelo Mathews.
The Dialog brand features high among Sri Lanka’s most valuable brands
and has associated with it a string of national and international
recognition, most significant among being the mantle of being the
country’s most loved telecommunications brand.
“Sri Lanka Cricket is pleased to see Dialog - one of the nation’s
most committed Sponsors of national sports, coming forward to support us
as the National Team Sponsor” said Mr. Jayantha Dharmadasa, President –
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). “I have no doubt that Dialog’s partnership with
Sri Lanka Cricket will herald yet another era of success for the men’s
and women’s national cricket teams, and we look forward to working
together with Dialog to foster pride and excellence in the game of
cricket among Sri Lankans from all provinces of the country”.
Dialog last sponsored the National Cricket Team in 2009. The Sri
Lankan Cricket Team currently holds a No 1 ranking in the ICC
(International Cricket Council) T-20 ratings and has the distinction of
winning the ICC World Cup in 1996 in addition to being featured in 2
World Cup finals over the past 6 years. Sri Lanka Cricket has produced
many of the world’s cricketing greats of recent times including Muttiah
Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva and
Mahela Jayawardene being named Wisden Cricketers of The Year. The
partnership agreement between Dialog and SLC follows closely on the
National Team’s departure for the ICC Champions Trophy Tournament in the
United Kingdom, followed by a tour of the West Indies.
“The next few years will see development of the game at all levels in
the country and feeding into the betterment of the game at the National
level”, said Nishantha Ranatunga, the Honorary Secretary of SLC.
“The dedication and the efforts that will be required from the
players as well as the administrators in ensuring we retain our mantle
of world class position in the cricketing arena is undoubtedly vast.
With plans afoot to develop infrastructure as well as the overall
framework of the game as it is played in today’s context, the
involvement of a committed sponsor will stand SLC in good stead and
ensure that we are able to foster and promote the game to the fullest
across all strata of society, encompassing all regions of the nation, as
befits the pride of place cricket holds in the hearts and minds of all
Sri Lankans.”
Over the years, Dialog has built a solid reputation as one of Sri
Lanka’s most committed and consistent sports sponsors.
In 2012, Dialog took over mantle of being the sponsor of Sri Lanka’s
Rugby Team which powered its way to become winners of the A5N (Asian
Five Nations) tournament. Dialog’s commitment to Rugby extends to the
Inter-Club League, Clifford Cup and 7’s tournaments as part of the
company’s support for the developmental programme of the Sri Lanka Rugby
Football Union (SLRFU).
The company’s support for popular and inclusive sports and associated
national tournaments has been both prolific and far reaching. Dialog has
powered the Nation’s Premier Volleyball Tournament the Presidents Gold
Cup featuring 400 games each year for the past 8 years in succession,
and the Football Premier League for the past 8 years. Dialog has also
been the power behind the National Disabled Games since 2001 and has the
distinction of having supported the national contingent to the 2008
Olympics as well as to the Paralympics Games in 2000, 2004 and 2008. |