The Commander’s Cup Friendship Challenge Trophy 2024, organized under the guidance of the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the SLAF, commenced at the Northern Province Sports Complex in Kilinochchi on 10 February 2024. The main aim of the tournament was to provide a platform for talented youth to display their skills and to identify more talented young individuals to pave the way for national and international sports arenas.

Eleven football leagues from the Northern Province, duly registered under the Football Federation of Sri Lanka, vied for the challenge trophy.

The preliminary rounds of the tournament unfolded across two principal sports venues: the Northern Province Sports Complex in Kilinochchi and the Multi-Sports Field of the Northern Naval Command at Kankasanthurai. Subsequently, the final matches took place at the Durayappah Stadium in Jaffna yesterday (06 March 2024), where the Mannar Football League played against the Kilinochchi Football League. Emerging victorious, the Mannar team clinched the championship with a narrow margin of 1-0 goals against the Kilinochchi team.

The event was graced by the presence of the Chief of Staff of the SLAF, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Wickremaratne, as the chief guest. Also the event was attended by members of the Air Force Board of Management, the Chairman of SLAF Soccer, Air Vice Marshal Suresh Fernando, along with passionate soccer enthusiasts from Jaffna.