Sri Lanka's national League of Legends team secured a notable victory over Kazakhstan during the group stage of the Asian Games 2026 Esports Qualifiers held in Malaysia.
Representing the country under the guidance and support of the Sri Lanka Esports Association (SLESA), the national side competed against some of Asia's leading teams in a bid to qualify for the 20th Asian Games, which will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September to October 2026.
The qualifiers serve as the official pathway to the Asian Games Esports competition, with only the top-performing nations earning places at the main event.
Sri Lanka's victory over Kazakhstan marked a significant achievement for the national team, highlighting the country's growing presence in the regional esports arena despite facing strong international competition.
While Sri Lanka’s campaign concluded at the group stage, the win over Kazakhstan stood out as a strong marker of the team’s progress.
Sri Lanka fielded Ashen “TheShyB0y” Tennakoon, Navindu “Que2” Handapangoda, Dilshan “Luvtwo” Kurukulasuriya, Tharuka “KratoZ” Fernando, and Manusha “hydra” Jayasinghe, with Nishal “Nishastic” Ranaweerasinghe as the Substitute Athlete and Gamunu “ScorpionX” Palleha Balasooriyage as the Coach.
Drawn into a group alongside India, Jordan, and Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka came up against two of the stronger sides in the region before delivering a composed, well-executed win over Kazakhstan, the standout result of the campaign.
The team played with discipline and growing confidence as the group stage progressed and while the results against India and Jordan kept Sri Lanka from advancing further, the win over Kazakhstan signalled real progress for the team and gave them a positive marker to build on.
“Beating Kazakhstan on this stage means a lot to us,” said captain of the Sri Lanka League of Legends team Ashen (TheShyB0y).
“Last time we faced them, we fell short, and that loss stayed with us. We have been working hard ever since to close the gap with the top teams in Asia, and this win shows we are finally moving in the right direction. It is emotional for us because it is not just a victory, it is a reminder of how far we have come. We are going to keep pushing, keep practicing harder for the next tournament, and do everything we can to make our country proud.”