20 teams to battle for SAGT trophy at EFLI’s University Flag Football Tournament

The University Flag Football Tournament for the SAGT trophy will take place for the third year on 4 and 5 June at Race Course Grounds from 9 a.m. onwards. This year the tournament will be contested by university teams from Colombo, Jaffna and Rajarata. 

Extending its support for the second year running towards the event, South Asia Gateway Terminals Limited (SAGT), one of the largest operators in the Port of Colombo and ranked No.1 in South Asia and No.4 in the world for terminal productivity, comes forward as the Platinum sponsor for the 2016 tournaments.

American Football in Sri Lanka is a game that has emerged to be very popular amongst the youth in many parts of the country. It is a sport that draws many parallels with rugby and was introduced to the country with the objective of giving Sri Lankan youth the opportunity to take part and excel in another exciting sport. American Football was first introduced to Sri Lanka in 2011 by EFLI – Sri Lanka (Elite Football League of India).

“EFLI Sri Lanka is pleased to bring you the University Flag Football tournament for the third year. This year the tournament will see the participation of 20 teams which certainly demonstrates how the game has evolved since its introduction in the country in 2011. American Football has received unprecedented enthusiasm and a phenomenal response by both spectators and participants in Sri Lanka, which is most encouraging and we look forward to seeing the game develop and proposer in years to come,” stated Dilroy Fernando, Director EFLI – Sri Lanka. 

The University Flag Football Tournament follows a full-gear contact (tackling) tournament organised by EFLI which took place at the end of last year with the participation of teams from Colombo, Jaffna and Rajarata.  An international team from the UAE, EAFL (Emirates American Football League) Falcons toured and played against Colombo Lions in April this year. 

EFLI- Sri Lanka will also organise another contact (tackling) tournament during the latter part of this year with teams from Colombo, Jaffna, Rajarata and Saudi Arabia. 

EFLI – the first professional American football league in India – was launched in Sri Lanka in 2011, as part of its plan to expand and introduce the sport into the South Asian region. Since then the organisation has conducted numerous tournaments and training events for both local and international teams. 

“Team SAGT is pleased to partner with the EFLI in taking flag football to all parts of the nation. SAGT is committed in developing the youth of Sri Lanka and it’s our belief that team sports play an integral part in developing the next generation of leaders.  The sport is associated with agility, speed, explosive strength, resilience, team work and adaptability. All the key ingredients required to produce good citizens, both on and off the field.”

American Football has surpassed baseball as one of the most watched sport in USA and shortlisted for the Olympics in 2020 in Japan. Since its introduction in Sri Lanka the game has changed the sporting landscape and has gained momentum especially amongst the universities in Colombo, Jaffna, Kandy, Uva and Rajarata. As a result of its strong appeal amongst the youth, EFLI plans to introduce the American Football at school levels as well in the future.