Leading Chess Administrator Luxman Wijesuriya was elected as the President of the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka unanimously at the Annual General Meeting of the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka (CFSL) held on Saturday . The election committee headed by Upali Gunasekara
(Chairman), Aruna De Silva and Mrs. Nadeeka Perera successfully conducted the CFSL elections. There were no extra nominations for each post where a single nomination each was received for 19 posts in the CFSL Executive Committee, giving full authority to Luxman Wijesuriya’s team to take Chess in Sri Lanka to the next level.
Luxman Wijesuriiya was the Sri Lanka National Chess Champion in 1996 and 2000. He has represented Sri Lanka at National level for 25 years from 1983 to 2008. He played in eight Chess Olympiads which is the highest still among Sri Lankan players . He won a Gold medal at the Asian Team Championship 1995 in Singapore.
He is presently working as the General Secretary in both South Asian Chess Council and Commonwealth Chess Association. He is one of the Vice Presidents in the Asian Chess Federation as well. . Luxman is an International Arbiter has also worked as an arbiter in most of the top World Chess events such as FDE Chess Olympiad, Women’s World cup and FIDE Men & Women Grand Prix.
Luxman being a leading administrator in Chess after his retirement from the game, has rendered yeoman service to Chess in Sri Lanka during the last decade. The number of Registered Chess players have risen to 170,000 in the country.
CFSL organizes around 150 Chess Events per year. There are 11 International Ranking Events which gives more than 400,000 rupees cash awards for an year. Even the last year National Chess Champion was awarded 100,000 rupees cash award . A foreign Grand master was brought in as National Coach in 2018 period which improved the standard of Chess in a big
way. Harshana Thilakaratne managed to win the IM Title from FIDE and Sasith Piyumantha won the Asian Under 16 Championship during the last two years due to this development. He anaged to get at least one Asian/ Commonwealth Chess event per year. Last year CFSL organized the biggest Chess Event in Asia, the Asian Youth Chess Championship 19 with around 300 foreign players from 23 Asian Countries.
Meanwhile Malith Akalanka of Sri Lanka Army was elected as the Secretary General and former Sri Lanka National Player Deepthi Hewageegana was elected as the Deputy President. Malith Akalanka, the newly elected Secretary is also a long serving Chess enthusiast who worked hard to promote Chess in the country, He is also an International Arbiter and was one of the members who started the Dhamso International Chess Championship. He is an officer of Sri Lanka Army.
President Luxman Wijesuriya
Deputy President - Deepthi Hewageegana
Vice Presidents - Dayal Siriwardena,. Dharshana Hewawasa, Rajendra Kalugampitiya, Sandya Kumari Aviruppola, Buddhi Nirukshi Panagoda, Buddhi Alahakoon, Thushan Wickramaarachchi Ranjith Thilakarathne(Appointed by Schools Chess association)
Secretary Malith Akalanka
Treasurer - Erosh Sampath Jayasinghe
Tournament Secretary Jagath Ketalawala
Asst. Secretary- Sumal Horawalavithana
Asst Treasurer No Nomination
Executive Committee - Chinthaka Weerasinghe,Vidura Koggala, Buddhini Wackishta,,Akila Fernando, Kanishka Welipitiya,. Jude Dorison, Ranjith Wickramaratne(Appointed by Schools Chess Association .)
