Dinesh Weerawansa


Dinesh Weerawansa has once again returned as Editor-in-Chief of the Sunday Observer from December 2019 for his second term. He held the same position for nine years from 2006 to 2015, heading the editorial operation of Sri Lanka's oldest English newspaper which has the largest circulation - published by the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. He had also functioned as Chief Editor of Daily News and also Associate Editor/ Sports Editor of the Daily News and a visiting lecturer at National Olympic Academy of Sri Lanka.

Early life

Weerawansa was born to the late W. Cosmas Damian and late Mercy Edna on 17 June 1966 at Negombo, Sri Lanka. A Navodaya scholar, he was educated at the Royal College, Colombo - Senior College Prefect 1984/85 and Hostel Prefects' Advisor 1984/86. He then pursued further studies at the Thomson Foundation, UK, and the International Olympic Academy, affiliated to the University of Athens.. In 1994, he was selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan to represent Sri Lanka at the South Asian Youth Exchange program. Only Sri Lankan media personality to be trained in the world-renowned IOA in Athena, Greece. Holds a diploma in sports leadership conducted by the International Olympic Committee.
He is honorary member of the International Taekwon-Do Federation he has been Sri Lanka’s prolific Sports Editor / sports journalist for nearly three decades and is also the IAAF athletic correspondent for Sri Lanka and he is the most experienced and travelled sports writer in Sri Lanka who has covered six editions of the Olympic Games, eight IAAF World Athletic Championships and six Asian Games.
Weerawansa has covered many milestone events in Sri Lanka sport, including Susanthika Jayasinghe winning the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games silver medal and 2007 World Championship bronze medal as well as Damayanthi Darsha and Sugath Tillakaratne winning gold medals for Sri Lanka after 25 years at 1998 Bangkok Asian Games. He had also served as a radio and television commentator at several international events, including Olympic Games, Asian Games, South Asian Games and Test/ ODI international cricket matches and represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Sports Press Union Congress in Seoul in 1990 and 1992 and South Asian Sports Association in Dhaka, 1993 - was elected Chairman of its Cricket Commission.

Family

He is married to Shashithanganee Kumari Weerawansa and has two daughters Oshari Esanjana and Pansiluni Hasanjana

International assignments as a media personality & Sports assignments