The 19th Asian Games have kicked off in Hangzhou, China, with the preliminary rounds in Women’s Cricket, Rowing, and Beach Volleyball currently underway. 

Team Sri Lanka is set to participate in more than 20 sports, featuring 96 athletes (62 males and 34 females) eager to secure glory. 

Notably, the Men’s Sevens Rugby team will compete under the OCA (Olympic Committee of Asia) flag, a result of World Rugby’s ban on Sri Lanka Rugby. Tarinda Ratwatte will lead the team.

Anura Rohana, a 2002 Silver Medallist in Golf, became the oldest flag-bearer in Asian Games history at 52, alongside Gayanthika Abeyratne.

In athletics, the 4x400 Relay teams hold an outside shot at a medal, with Tharushi Karunaratne, Gayanthika Abeyrathne, and Kalinga Kumarage eyeing medals in their individual events.

Chamari Athapaththu leads the Women’s Cricket Team who are already in the semi-finals, while Sahan Arachchige will lead the Men’s Cricket team.

For the first time, E-Sports joins as a medal event, with Sri Lanka competing in PUBG Mobile.

Nethmi Ahinsa, Sri Lanka’s youngest Commonwealth Games medal winner in Wrestling, carries hope, while weightlifter Dilanka Isuru Kumara, following a Birmingham medal win last year, aims for another podium finish.

Athletics will be from 20 September to 4 October, Men’s Cricket from 4 October, and Rugby games from 24-26 September. Swimmers Matthew Abeysinghe, Akalanka Peiris, and Ganga Senavirathne dive in from 24-28 September.

Aquatics 

• Matthew Abeysinghe (Men’s 100 m Freestyle, Men’s 50 m Butterfly, Men’s 50 m Freestyle) 
• Akalanka Peiris (Men’s 50 m Backstroke, Men’s 50 m Butterfly)
• Ganga Senavirathne (Women’s 100 m Backstroke, Women’s 50 m Backstroke, Women’s 200 m Backstroke)

Athletics 

• Kalinga Kumarage (Men’s 400 m, Men’s 4x400 m Relay, Mixed 4x400 m Relay)
• Aruna Dharshana (Men’s 400 m, Men’s 4x400 m Relay, Mixed 4x400 m Relay)
• Pabasara Niku (Men’s 4x400 m Relay)
• Rajitha Rajakaruna (Men’s 4x400 m Relay, Mixed 4x400 m Relay)
• Dinuka Deshan (Men’s 4x400 m Relay)
• Pasindu Kodikara (Men’s 4x400 m Relay)
• Rumeshika Rathnayake (Women’s 200 m)
• Nadeesha Ramanayake (Women’s 400 m, Women’s 4x400 m Relay, Mixed 4x400 m Relay) 
• Tharushi Karunaratne (Women’s 800 m, Women’s 4x400 m Relay, Mixed 4x400 m Relay) 
• Gayanthika Abeyrathne (Women’s 800 m, Women’s 1,500 m, Mixed 4x400 m Relay)
• Jayeshi Uththara (Women’s 4x400 m Relay)
• Sayuri Mendis (Women’s 4x400 m Relay)
• Sarangi Silva (Women’s Long Jump)
• Nadeesha Lekamge (Women’s Javelin Throw)

Men’s Cricket 

Sahan Arachchige (Captain), Ashen Bandara, Nuwanidu Fernando, Lasith Croospulle, Shevon Daniel, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Lahiru Udara, Sachitha Jayathilake, Ravindu Fernando, Ranitha Liyanarachchi, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Nimesh Vimukthi, Lahiru Samarakoon, Nuwan Thushara, Isitha Wijesundara

Women’s Cricket 

Chamari Athapaththu (Captain), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Imesha Dulani, Anushka Sanjeewani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Hasini Perera, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Achini Kulasooriya, Inoshi Fernando

Badminton 

Viren Nettasinghe (Men’s Singles)

Archery 

• Sajeev de Silva (Recurve Men’s Individual)
• Anuradha Karunaratne (Compound Women’s Individual)
• Wasantha Kumara (Compound Men’s Individual)

Boxing 

• Rukmal Prasanna (Men’s 57kg)
• Niraj Wijewardena (Men’s 71kg)

Chess 

Susal Thewjan de Silva (Men’s Individual)

E-Sports 

• Mohammad Rizny
• Kavindu Ishara Fernando
• Chamuditha Watshan
• Mohammad Riham

Judo 

Chamara Nuwan Dharmawardana (Men’s 73kg)

Karate 

• Heshani Hettiarachchi (Women’s Individual Kata)
• Denetha Avihinsa Fernando (Men’s Kumite 67kg)

Squash 

• Chanithma Sinaly (Mixed Doubles)
• Mohomad Shamil (Mixed Doubles)
• Ravindu Laksiri (Men’s Singles)

Taekwondo 

• Chalinda Sampath Liyanage (Men’s 58kg)
• P.K. Mahadula (Women’s 49kg)

Weightlifting 

• Indika Dissanayake (Men’s 73kg)
• Dilanka Isuru Kumara (Men’s 61kg)

Wrestling 

Nethmi Ahinsa (Women’s Freestyle 53kg)

Wushu 

• Pathum Nuwan (Men’s 60kg)
• Nipun Shanika (Men’s 65kg)

Sailing 

• Taalya Tranchell (Girls ILCA4)
• Tharen Nanayakkara (Boys ILCA4)

Rowing 

• Nuwan Sampath (Men’s Double Sculls)
• Maheshi Liyanage (Women’s Single Sculls, Women’s Double Sculls)
• Mohammed Nafiran (Men’s Double Sculls, Men’s Single Sculls)
• Jayani Hirunika (Women’s Double Sculls)

Rugby 

Tarinda Ratwatte (Captain), Heshan Jansen, Gemunu Chethiya, Adeesha Weeratunga, Ramesh Fernando, Dinupa Seneviratne, Anjula Hettiarachchi, Darshana Dabare, Akash Madushanka, Adam Gaudar, Raveen de Silva, Kavindu de Costa

Golf 

• N. Thangarajah
• Anura Rohana
• R.K. Prabhagaran
• Chamika Perera

Women’s Beach Volleyball 

• Chathurika Madushani
• Deepika Bandara

Artistic Gymnastics 

Nadila Nethviru Ambuldeniyage