Oly Niluka Karunaratne Foundation launched to help athletes

March 8, 2024 at 1:54 PM

Three-time Sri Lankan Olympian Niluka Karunaratne has launched the “OLY Niluka Karunaratne Foundation” to support athletes locally and internationally, aiming to enhance the quality of sport through athlete assistance programs. 

As an initial gesture of support, the foundation provided its first grant to OLY Yupun Abeykoon, who is striving to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The launch event also saw Olympian Niluka Karunaratne bidding farewell to his illustrious career. 

Over the span of 22 years, Karunaratne competed in three Olympic Games – London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020. Karunaratne holds the distinction of being the sole Sri Lankan badminton player to attain international acclaim, achieving a world ranking of 34. His achievements include 34 international medals, with five gold medals across all five continents. 

Full statement by Niluka Karunaratne;