Lanka Sportreizen (LSR), Sri Lanka’s leading sports and sports-tourism promoter, will partner with SingaCup, a Singapore-based youth football advocate, to launch Copa Simha in Sri Lanka.

Sunday Times (Sri Lanka), 1 February 2026 – LSR’s newest, and first, youth sporting initiative is scheduled to take place in Colombo on 25 and 26 April, featuring competition in the Under-12 Boys category and welcoming teams from Sri Lanka as well as abroad.

As an organisation that promotes tourism through sports in Sri Lanka, LSR has played a pivotal role in the planning, coordination and successful execution of major sporting events for nearly two decades. The LSR Colombo Marathon, which attracts thousands of local and international long-distance runners, the Sri Lanka T-Cup Coast-to-Coast Road Cycling Event, the Rumble in the Jungle Mountain Bike Championship, and multiple international and domestic surfing events held across Sri Lanka’s coastal belt are a few of the events LSR organises, conducts and promotes each year as sports tourism.

All these events have been managed to the required international standards, with a strong emphasis on professionalism, safety and positive stakeholder collaboration. By hosting Copa Simha, LSR would follow the same protocols and standards, to meet the criteria of our partners, SingaCup of Singapore and the country’s football federation, who are very supportive of this cause.

Thilak Weerasinghe, Chairman, Lanka Sportreizen

Aligned with its long-term strategy of promoting Sri Lanka as a competitive and attractive sports tourism destination, LSR continues to drive initiatives that contribute to youth development, cultural exchange and economic impact. The organisation is actively involved in bringing international athletes and supporters to the country while strengthening Sri Lanka’s position within the global sports ecosystem.

This is an initiative that began in 2011 in Singapore, and this year will be our 16th edition. Football is a sport that has no boundaries and is open to any person, helps form new friendships and unites different communities. This is a partnership that could grow to become a fruitful one, productive and beneficial for the young athletes who will become part of this.

Selvakumar Panneerselvam, Managing Director, SingaCup, speaking to reporters in Colombo

The SingaCup is one of the annual and main sporting attractions in Singapore, a country that has already gained fame and recognition for hosting the Singapore F1, the World Rugby 7s Series, the Singapore Triathlon and the Singapore Table Tennis Smash. The SingaCup has gained the same recognition as any other international sporting event hosted by Singapore, for helping young footballers shape their talents and reach international standards through the exposure it provides.

The SingaCup has gone beyond Singapore by now, and Sri Lanka will be the latest addition to join the list of over 15 countries. The winner of Copa Simha from Sri Lanka will join our main tournament in Singapore, to be held in November later this year.

Selvakumar Panneerselvam

Part of LSR’s 2026 sports calendar

Copa Simha will now become part of LSR’s 2026 sports calendar. The Under-12 Boys Football Tournament, designed to give young athletes valuable international exposure, competitive match play and opportunities for cross-cultural engagement, is to become an annual event that grows beyond its initial status.

Beyond performances on the pitch, LSR aims to encourage grassroots football growth, uplift youth sporting standards, and foster lasting relationships between Sri Lankan and international football communities. Yes, it will feature local teams from across the country, but in time to come we hope to elevate Copa Simha to an international event that would unearth future football stars.

Thilak Weerasinghe

Hosted in Colombo, a city known for its rich sporting heritage, hospitality and accessibility, Copa Simha will be conducted in accordance with recognised football regulations and will place priority on fair play, safety and positive sporting values. LSR will oversee match scheduling, field coordination, ground maintenance, security, medical services and full event management to ensure a seamless, well-aligned tournament experience.

LSR recognises that youth football is about more than competition; it represents character-building, learning and inspiration. Through Copa Simha, LSR aims to shape confident, disciplined and globally minded young athletes while strengthening Sri Lanka’s reputation as a welcoming and competitive destination for international youth sport.

Lanka Sportreizen

The SingaCup Football Experience in Dambulla

Before unveiling Copa Simha earlier this week, LSR and SingaCup joined forces to introduce their newly formed affiliation with the SingaCup Football Experience in Dambulla last year. The inaugural SingaCup Football Experience brought together 100 schoolchildren from Pohoranwewa Junior School, Theladinnath Wewa Junior School and Rathmalgahaela Junior School for a professional football training session. Attended by coaches from Singapore, families and community members, the event not only inspired young athletes but also underscored the power of sport as a catalyst for development, cultural exchange and tourism. Building on this momentum, the foundation was laid for Sri Lanka to host Copa Simha, a brand promoted by SingaCup.

Since 2011, SingaCup has established itself as the premier international youth football tournament in Asia, providing a platform for young talents to showcase their skills, compete at the highest level, and build friendships across borders.

Source: the Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Article Link: https://www.sundaytimes.lk/260201/sports/lsr-brings-famed-copa-simha-to-sri-lanka-629993.html