Imperial College of Business Studies (ICBS) has officially launched Imperial Blaze 2026, its flagship inter-university sporting festival, bringing together more than 20 state and private universities from across Sri Lanka.
Featuring competitions in football, rugby, basketball and cricket, the tournament provides university athletes with a competitive platform to demonstrate their talent, sportsmanship and team spirit.
Beyond the sporting action, Imperial Blaze seeks to strengthen connections among university communities while creating meaningful opportunities for students to engage, compete and grow through sport.
The concept behind Imperial Blaze was originally conceived as a special initiative to commemorate ICBS's 40th anniversary, creating a sporting festival designed to celebrate the institution's students and their passion for athletics.
Imperial Blaze 2026 will take place from August 22 to September 6 across four venues. Rugby matches will be hosted at Police Park, while basketball will be played at St. Joseph's College. Cricket fixtures will take place at the SLDCC Grounds and Police Park, with football matches scheduled at the Race Course Grounds.
ThePapare and Dialog TV have joined the event as the official broadcasting partners, bringing the excitement of the tournament to audiences across Sri Lanka.
Commenting on the launch, Chanusha Jayawardane, Head of Student Engagement and Corporate Partnerships at ICBS, said:
“Imperial Blaze started with a simple idea: give university athletes a stage worthy of their talent. Bringing over 20 universities together under one banner is no small feat, and it reflects what ICBS stands for. We believe sport builds character as much as any classroom, and this festival is our commitment to that belief.”
Binara Sanketh, Chairperson of Imperial Blaze 2026, added:
“This tournament is run by students, for students. Every match, every rivalry, every moment on the field comes from the drive of young athletes who want to compete at the highest level. That energy is what makes Imperial Blaze different, and it's what will carry this festival forward year after year.”
CCIB Set to Strengthen Sri Lanka–Romania Tourism and Investment Ties
The newly established Colombo representative office of the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIB) is expected to play a key role in strengthening economic, tourism and investment relations between Sri Lanka and Romania, Deputy Minister of Tourism Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe said.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the office in Colombo yesterday (18), Prof. Ranasinghe highlighted Romania’s growing importance as a destination for Sri Lankan youth seeking employment opportunities, while identifying tourism as another significant avenue for generating foreign exchange and deepening economic ties between the two countries.
“Romania is one of our leading destinations for our youth in search of green pastures, and also tourism. So these two sources of foreign income significantly contribute to the future and the development of the Sri Lankan economy,” he said.
Prof. Ranasinghe noted that the Government is giving considerable attention to both foreign employment and tourism as part of its broader efforts to strengthen Sri Lanka’s international partnerships.
He said the new CCIB representative office could serve as a central platform for expanding cooperation between Sri Lanka and Romania by facilitating investment, promoting tourism and creating employment opportunities for Sri Lankan youth.
“The Chamber, I think, could be the central hub of attracting investments, promoting tourism, attracting employment opportunities for our youth here, and also initiating and establishing new connections,” he added.
ICBS Unveils Imperial Blaze 2026, Sri Lanka’s Ultimate Inter-University Sports Showdown
