- How a mom turned a Saturday morning hobby into a sporting powerhouse
Colombo Kickerz Football Academy is one of Sri Lanka’s premier youth football institutions, established in 2015. Led by Founder and Academy Head Viveca Weerasingha and CEO Romario De Silva, the academy has grown to train over 300 children annually across various age groups.
They recently launched their 2026/27 season and The Daily Morning spoke to the two main pillars behind this sporting venture.
Last year saw a major event in Kickerz history. To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Colombo Kickerz officially partnered with the Juventus Academy to host a landmark five-day training camp in Colombo.
Founded with the vision of nurturing young footballers and providing them with opportunities to grow both on and off the field, Colombo Kickerz has established itself as one of the leading youth football academies in Colombo. Over the years, the academy has organised numerous tournaments, training camps, international tours, and grassroots development initiatives that have helped hundreds of young players pursue their passion for football.
Following are excerpts of the interview:
Viveca Weersasingha - Founder / Academy Head, Colombo Kickerz
Viveka, tell us about the beginnings of Colombo Kickerz, when did it all start and its roots?
I was living abroad and moved back to Sri Lanka in 2015. My son is a mad football enthusiast and we could not find a place for him to play. Finally, he and a few of his friends managed to get a time slot at Havelock Grounds for them to play once on a Saturday morning. The next week, those same children said "can we come again?" And by the third week, we had 15 children whom I didn't know; they just told their friends, just by word of mouth, informal, where they came to play at Havelock Grounds. They played for about three to four hours and I sat there basically babysitting them.
The numbers started increasing until we realised we were onto something here. I asked somebody I knew for a coach and brought the coach in. When the coach realised that this is going to be a regular thing and it was growing, he put me onto somebody else and then we formalised a very basic admission form, charging Rs. 500 to pay for the coach and his transport so that we could have all the parents' details also in the event of an accident or something like that. And that is how it began.
Within about six-seven months, we had almost 50 children actually. We first started with one age group and then they brought in their siblings so we had two age groups. I went to the football federation and registered it as an academy there and then incorporated it also as a company. And we grew with the age groups.
I was also very fortunate with coaches where I didn't have to advertise for a coach; they would come to us or some else would recommend them. I must say Sumith Walpola at Sports Corner has been very instrumental at the beginning; he was there with advice and recommending people because I do not come from a sports background—I'm into administration and my previous job was totally different. This was purely out of love for my son and then the children who came to Kickerz. We grew to about 150 kids.
How’s the age group spanning across Kickerz?
When we first started, it was 11-12 year olds and then one age lower than that, so that would have been about 7-8. Now we have from five years up to 19; we have the under-19 age group. We have over 300 children on the register. Of course, all of them don't come on the same day. We have multiple days of the week with different age groups. On one day for a session, we will probably have between 80 to 110 kids coming for practice.
We have 15 coaching staff and the ground staff that help us. We branched out into a girls' category about two years ago now. And actually, next month—God willing with the situation—we have registered to take part in the KL Cup (Malaysia); for the first time we're taking a girls' team. This will be our eighth international tournament.
Thankfully we have built up a reputation of looking after the kids very carefully. We're thankful that parents are trusting us to send the girls' team and this is just for them to get the experience of playing in an international environment, see what's out there because the first time we went was pre-COVID; we went to Vietnam and they did quite well there. We actually got the ‘Best Goalkeeper’ award and an award that is most important to me, which is the ‘Fair Play’ award.
And so that is also something—not only that, it is one of the primary things at Kickerz—we are very strong on no bullying, no name-calling, equal opportunities, and respecting each other and the coach. Getting that fair play award in Vietnam was a big thing for us. After COVID, we had to pick up again and we started with the KL Cup. This will be the third time we're going to play the KL Cup.
And the kids, it was like a huge experience for them because when they're just in Sri Lanka you think you're top of the pops, right? You go there and you're dealing and playing with academies that are practicing every single day, that's their whole life. It comes as almost a rude awakening, but you come back with an experience and you realise that you have to work harder. The second time we went to the KL Cup, some of the same children were coming in and we were actually placed fifth. So that was a very good improvement.
Is the KL Cup a gathering of multiple teams around the world?
Yes, there are I think around 40 different countries. There are six venues where this takes place over a period of two days, so it's a massive tournament. And like that, we have done quite a few international tournaments to give these children a chance to go out there, see what's out there, better conditions, and interact with international kids their age, which are opportunities we would have never had as kids.
Where do you see, at 11 years old, the tiny toddler which has now become a well-known established entity? How do you feel right now at this moment? Where is Colombo Kickerz placed in your opinion?
It's way beyond what I thought it could be. I don't mean to belittle the beginning because the foundation is very important and I know the first few years we struggled to make a name for ourselves. After you have proven yourself for about three to four years, then it flies.
But I must say there has been vast growth once Romario de Silva took the reins as CEO. He brought in the annual Kickerz tournament in 2022, we just did the tournament—we didn't decide "okay, it's going to be an annual thing." But we tried it and it was such a success with people requesting to come the next year, so now this year we're going into our fifth year.
And that gives so many children from all over the country the opportunity to come and play at the Racecourse Grounds, which is a big thing for them. We also put all our kids in for that, so everyone has a chance to play. Because for overseas tournaments or other games, sometimes there is a tug-of-war between the coaches and me, because we are also saying "give every child an opportunity," but also at the same time we have an obligation to our sponsors and those who believe in us and our name to try to choose the best team.
But that is why we also have tournaments within ourselves and friendly games to make sure that all the kids get that opportunity and experience—because if they don't have that chance or exposure to fail, how are they going to learn? Each child should have that equal playing opportunity.
Where we are now, like you said, is beyond what I would have thought it to be. At the beginning, once we started and then had those two-three years, I knew there was much greater potential, but it was not something I could put into it, dividing my time as a single mother also. I knew I needed someone else who can just take this and fly, and thankfully Romario has done more above and beyond than I would have thought and taken it to a superb level.
One final question, Viveka. In terms of the future, you mentioned the girls' team, the international tours—where do you see the next five years for Colombo Kickers?
I would like to see us having our own venue. That is the biggest challenge we face in Sri Lanka—finding a permanent home where we can have our equipment and a clubhouse for the kids to feel like they truly belong.
Beyond that, I want to see our kids progressing into the national pools. We’ve already had a few players go onto represent their schools at very high levels and even some early interest for national age-group selections. Seeing them wear the Sri Lankan jersey would be the ultimate "full circle" moment for me, especially starting from just 15 kids at Havies.
I also want to continue our social responsibility. We have kids from different backgrounds, and we try to sponsor those who have the talent but not the means.
Expanding that scholarship program so that football is accessible to any talented child in Colombo, regardless of their financial status, is a major goal for the next five years.
Romario de Silva - CEO, Colombo Kickerz
Romario, how are the big plans? What are the most important plans for the year 2026 and then 2027? After 11 years, I think Kickerz is now a very well-known brand in Colombo and Sri Lanka's football. What's next?
Well, the main notion was to get Juventus here last year—that was the biggest plan for the 10th anniversary. And now we are building on that, and we hope to continue that partnership with Juventus, as well as build a brand here in Sri Lanka where the football community and children like to come and join and play. And well, it's not only about producing players, but it's also about producing good humans, and that's also something that we have placed really high on our agenda: to continue to build disciplined students.
How can Kickerz be a foundation for youngsters to get into the game?
It is a platform where youngsters can get into the game and they can come and play, they can come and practice, they can come and play tournaments, they can play matches. It’s not like the conventional academy. We not only teach sport, we also teach them how to be good humans in the future and how they can grow up in a disciplined manner."
Do you think football can make a change in society?
Of course, football can make a change. Not only football, but all sports can make a change in the society and all the children who come also expect a change. And football is a great foundation for us to help them to change and be the difference in their schools, in their play groups, and everywhere.
In terms of skill level can we Sri Lankans go to the global level, do we have it?
Skill-wise we do have it and what it takes to go global, but we in Sri Lanka need to have the pathways and we need to have the proper guidance which we are lacking. I think if we get the house in order in terms of the administration and giving people the proper pathway, I think our children are skilled enough to make it.
What is your message to sports enthusiasts on the island to get into sporting ventures?
Well sport is a great platform for anyone to get into different different ventures. Some may want to make a business out of it, some may want to make a difference in the society. Either way, it’s a great way to touch people and make a difference in people’s lives.
Finally what do you have to say to our future footballers of Sri Lanka
To the future footballers well, you’ll have to no doubt work hard because globally the game has gone far ahead of us. But if we work hard and put in the hard hours, I’m sure we can get there one day. It’ll take time, but of course all good things take time.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the interviewee, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication