Colombo: Sri Lanka’s sports ministry has reversed an earlier decision to abandon the proposed cricket ground in Jaffna, with construction work set to begin next week.
Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, who visited the proposed site at Mandathivu in Jaffna, told reporters that all necessary approvals have been secured and construction contracts awarded.
“We have obtained all necessary approvals. Contracts for construction have been awarded,” Gamage was quoted as saying in a ministry release.
In late June, the interim committee appointed by Gamage to administer Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had announced that the project would not go ahead, citing a shortage of funds.
The foundation stone for the proposed facility was laid by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in September 2025, during the tenure of the previous SLC administration headed by Shammi Silva.
The project envisaged allocating 40 acres of land for the ground.
However, in February this year, the Central Environmental Authority directed that work on the project be halted until the necessary environmental safeguards were put in place.
The proposed facility was not officially designated as an international cricket ground, although Silva had assured Dissanayake that the first international match would be held there by December 2026.
Silva and his fellow administrators resigned in April, paving the way for Gamage to appoint an interim committee tasked with reforming cricket governance.
