Team owners identified, players drafted for inaugural SLPL
The inaugural Spa Ceylon Sri Lanka Padel League (SLPL) reached a thrilling milestone with its first-ever player draft and auction held last weekend at The Vault, Colombo City Centre, where team owners and players were drafted into the franchises. In front of an energised crowd of team owners, players, and partners, 48 players were officially drafted across eight dynamic franchise teams, selected from over 100 registered applicants.
Indicating the possible electric atmosphere of the forthcoming inaugural SLPL, the auction night carried the vibe, with bids flying in fast, strategies being tested, as teams vied for their top picks. The highest bid of the night went to Samanthi Wijesekera, who was snapped up by The Recovery Room – Arugambay for Rs. 62,000, closely followed by Sasala Dissanayake, who picked by the Yala Rangers for Rs. 60,000. With a limited number of female players available, fierce competition broke out among teams looking to lock in strong talent ahead of the league’s launch.
Players were categorised into Pro and Intermediate pools, with each franchise allowed to pre-select a maximum of two professional players, while the rest of their squads—ranging from four to eight—were built through the live intermediate auction.
“It was surreal to be up there as the auctioneer, calling the bids and watching it all unfold,” said Karin Wijeratne, SLPL Co-founder and Director.
“The energy in that room was electric. What we saw was not just excitement—it was belief. Belief in this sport, in this league, and in what we’re building together. We can already feel the momentum.”
The auction also welcomed the newest team—Team Ahangama – Good Buggers—purchased less than 48 hours before the draft.
“We came in late, but we came in strong,” said co-owners Gehan and Annika Fernando.
“We are thrilled to be a part of SLPL and Karin and Ifham’s efforts in elevating padel in Sri Lanka, a sport we both enjoy playing. We are looking forward to the main event in June and our seven Good Buggers will be ready to face our rivals on the court at what is set to be an epic event.”
The Spa Ceylon Sri Lanka Padel League is set to kick off from June 20 to 22 at Padel House, at CR&FC, and will be broadcast live on Peo Sports 1 HD, SD (CH.150) and the KSN YouTube channel, making it accessible to fans island-wide and beyond.
The inaugural SLPL is presented with Spa Ceylon (title partner), Padel House (venue partner), Peo TV, KSN, Red Bull, Coca Cola, Winfield, Efm, The Vault/Playtrix, Carnage, SNH, C Smooth, Scope Cinema, The Racket Store (Babolat) and Food Studio as commercial partners.