Sri Lanka’s national League of Legends team competed at the Asian Games 2026 Esports Qualifiers held in Malaysia, picking up a notable victory over Kazakhstan in the group stage. Selected and supported by the Sri Lanka Esports Association (SLESA), the team competed for a place at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (September/October 2026), where only the top-performing nations from the qualifiers advance to compete on the main Esports stage. While Sri Lanka’s campaign concluded at the group stage, the win over Kazakhstan stood out as a strong marker of the team’s progress.
Sri Lanka fielded Ashen “TheShyB0y” Tennakoon, Navindu “Que2” Handapangoda, Dilshan “Luvtwo” Kurukulasuriya, Tharuka “KratoZ” Fernando, and Manusha “hydra” Jayasinghe, with Nishal “Nishastic” Ranaweerasinghe as the Substitute Athlete and Gamunu “ScorpionX” Palleha Balasooriyage as the Coach.
Drawn into a group alongside India, Jordan, and Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka came up against two of the stronger sides in the region before delivering a composed, well-executed win over Kazakhstan, the standout result of the campaign. The team played with discipline and growing confidence as the group stage progressed and while the results against India and Jordan kept Sri Lanka from advancing further, the win over Kazakhstan signalled real progress for the team and gave them a positive marker to build on.
“Beating Kazakhstan on this stage means a lot to us,” said Ashen (TheShyB0y), captain of the Sri Lanka League of Legends team. “Last time we faced them, we fell short, and that loss stayed with us. We’ve been working hard ever since to close the gap with the top teams in Asia, and this win shows we’re finally moving in the right direction. It’s emotional for us because it’s not just a victory, it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come. We’re going to keep pushing, keep practicing harder for the next tournament, and do everything we can to make our country proud.”
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.
Gamer.LK, Sri Lanka’s premier video gaming and Esports company, served as the strategic partner for SLESA, supporting the execution, operations and promotion of the event. Their continued involvement has been instrumental in shaping the local Esports landscape and ensuring the successful delivery of national-level initiatives.
Caption: Sri Lanka League of Legends Team Concludes Asian Games 2026 Qualifiers with a Win Over Kazakhstan.
