Sri Lanka officially entered the franchise pickleball era with the launch of the Ceylon Pickle League (CPL), the country’s first-ever franchise-based pickleball league, unveiled at a high-profile press conference held at the Havelock City Mall Atrium.
Set to take place from 16th – 18th October 2026 at the Colombo Pickle Club, the CPL will introduce a completely new dimension to the sport locally — blending professional competition, franchise ownership, player auctions, live broadcast production and entertainment-led sporting experiences into one modern league property.
Owned and organised by Eventistry Sports in partnership with Colombo Pickle Club, the league has already generated significant momentum ahead of its inaugural season, with all eight franchise teams officially sold out before launch.
The inaugural franchises include Colombo Aces, Trinco Titans, Weligama Sharks, Ella Archers, Kandy Knights, Yaal Dinkers, Bentota Nyners and Galle Kings.
Adding major star power to the competition is Sri Lankan international cricketer Matheesha Pathirana, one of the country’s most recognizable names in global franchise cricket, who has officially purchased the Yaal Dinkers franchise. His involvement marks a major crossover moment between mainstream professional sport and the rapidly growing world of pickleball.
The league will feature competition across Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, Men’s Singles and Masters Doubles, while also welcoming international players from India as part of the inaugural season.
CPL will also introduce a professional player auction, scheduled to take place later this year, bringing a franchise-style team building element to the competition similar to some of the world’s leading sporting leagues.
Speaking at the launch, Karin Wijeratne, Founder of Eventistry Sports, said the vision behind the CPL was always to build something far bigger than a conventional tournament.
“CPL is about far more than pickleball. This is about building the future of modern sport in Sri Lanka. We wanted to create a property that brings together competition, entertainment, franchise culture, broadcast, personalities and fan energy into one experience. Pickleball is exploding globally right now, and we believe Sri Lanka has the opportunity to become part of that movement in a very real way.
At Eventistry Sports, we’ve always believed sport should feel exciting, commercially valuable and culturally relevant. From the Sri Lanka Padel League to the Ceylon Golf League and Island Invitational, our focus has always been on building sports properties that people genuinely want to follow, support and be part of. CPL is another bold step in that direction, and we believe this is only the beginning for pickleball in Sri Lanka.”
Over the past few years, Eventistry Sports has rapidly emerged as one of Sri Lanka’s leading sports entertainment and marketing companies, having worked across properties including the Lanka Premier League (LPL), Davis Cup, Asia Rugby tournaments and Olympic-related campaigns, while also developing its own portfolio of original sports properties.
Speaking on behalf of Colombo Pickle Club, Co-Founder Subraja Subramaniam said the launch represented a defining moment for the sport locally.
“Pickleball has been growing incredibly fast around the world, and we felt Sri Lanka was ready for a league that could match that energy and ambition. Partnering with Eventistry Sports allows us to present the sport on a completely different scale while creating something players, brands and fans can all be excited about.”
The inaugural edition of the Ceylon Pickle League will be broadcast on PEO TV and produced by KSN Live, with several major brands already confirmed as league partners including Sampath Bank as Title Partner, SNH as Powered By Partner, Havelock City Mall as Venue Partner, Red Bull as Official Energy Drink Partner, Wilson as Official Ball Partner, Grandbell Hotel as Official Accommodation Partner, Winfield as Branding Partner, AV1 as Audio Visual Partner and EFM as Official Radio Partner.
Further announcements surrounding franchise owners, player signings, the official player auction and additional league experiences are expected in the coming months.