Jaffna Mandaitivu international cricket stadium: construction to begin soon, completion within a year - Minister

Construction of the international cricket stadium to be built at Mandaitivu in Jaffna will begin in the coming weeks, and the government expects to complete the whole build within a year of work starting, Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage has said. He announced this after inspecting the land allocated for the stadium yesterday; MP Ilankumaran accompanied him.

The minister said work was delayed because some environment-related reports could not be obtained, but all necessary documents have now been received and preparations are complete. No firm official opening date has been announced; completing the work within a year of starting construction is the government's current target and the clear timeframe.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake laid the foundation stone for the project on September 1, 2025. At that time the government expressed hope that the first match would be held by the end of last year and the first international match within three years. However, construction was temporarily suspended in February 2026 because the environmental impact assessment report had not been obtained.

Sri Lanka Cricket said in the interim that it was reviewing the project's scope for financial reasons, while stressing it remained committed to building a cricket stadium in Jaffna. Set on 48 acres with 10 centre wickets and boundary distances of up to 80 metres, the stadium is expected to become the country's seventh international cricket venue and its fifth with floodlights.

The ground, pavilion, main spectator stand, media centre and floodlights will be built in phases; in the first phase the ground will be brought to match-ready standard. As the Northern Province's first international cricket stadium, there is public expectation that it will create a major pathway to develop the sporting talents of the region's youth and bring international matches to the north.