Former National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka President Hemasiri Fernando, centre ©Getty Images

The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) has awarded honorary lifetime memberships to two of its longest-serving officials.

Previous President Hemasiri Fernando and long-time secretary general Prema Pinnawela were honoured at a special ceremony.

Fernando led the Assembly for 21 years from 1997 to 2018, while Pinnawela held the position of secretary general between 1983 and 1997.

Both officials were given life memberships by President Suresh Subramaniam and secretary general Maxwell de Silva at Olympic House.

Fernando was central in the establishment of the four-storey Olympic House as NOCSL's headquarters in 2008.

The body had been based in a single room when he first took charge.

The two officials were honoured at a meeting ©SLNOC
The two officials were honoured at a meeting ©SLNOC

NOCSL has also renamed the Olympic House auditorium as ‘Hemasiri Fernando Auditorium’ as a mark of respect.

Both men remain keenly involved in national sport – Pinnawela is the secretary of the Amateur Athletic Association of Sri Lanka.

Fernando, meanwhile, has been honorary vice-president of the Olympic Council of Asia since July 2011, and regional vice-president of the Commonwealth Games Federation since 2007.

The meeting of the NOCSL also covered other matters, including passing the addition of two new members to its Executive Committee.

The Surfing Federation of Sri Lanka, and National Association for Climbing and Mountaineering in Sri Lanka were inducted, while the nation's Ski and Snowboard Association was granted associated membership without voting rights.