In recognition of decades of work on charitable projects and fundraising efforts
We awarded Dr. Ananda Thevathasan, BSc., MBA, Ph.D., Fellow Life Member R.S. of Med, because of his tireless commitment to the betterment of Sri Lankans. He has helped thousands by organizing charities that target Sri Lankans in need.
Dr. Ananda Thevathasan was born and raised in Colombo, Sri Lanka. His college education began at Wesley College in Bio-Science and was followed by a Pre-Med education at Colombo University. He earned his MBA in Business and Industrial Operations at Thames Business School, London and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology and Behavioural Science at Imperial College, London. Passionate about sports, he was a Cricket Captain at Wesley College and Colts Cricket Club Colombo. He also represented Wesley College in cricket, hockey, soccer and was Sri Lankan Badminton Champion in the UK Doubles in 1994.
Dr. Thevathasan’s commitment throughout the years to philanthropy is expressed the sheer number of projects he has been involved in. For his work in philanthropy, he has received prestigious awards such as the BRISLA award in 2016.
He was the Liaison Officer and was involved with fundraising for the Guys Mercy Mission, a mission in Sri Lanka that performed life-saving pediatric operations. He is a founding member of Oru Paanai, an organization geared towards feeding hungry children. First launched in 2008 in Sri Lanka, “Oru Paanai”, which means “one pot”, has managed to feed over 44,000 children. Their primary objective was to supplement the mid-day lunch provided by the World Food Program by making the meal more palatable and appealing to children.
In 2013, as the President of the Sri Lanka Cricket Association United Kingdom, he gifted a cancer-detecting laser machine to a hospital in North Sri Lanka and a neonatal incubator to Galle Hospital through the Festival of Cricket, which supports cancer research in the UK and Sri Lanka. In 2014, he toured Sri Lanka with 70 private and public school students aged 14 – 18 as the Health and Safety Officer, taking care of their medical needs and sports injuries.
He donated sports equipment in 2019 to Atamie International School, Wattala, Sri Lanka, and he set up a sports complex for children at Ave Maria School Mattakkuliya that gave students an opportunity to enhance their well-being through sports. In 2021, he donated cricket equipment to needy children in Sri Lanka. His continued support has promoted sports development in the rural areas of Sri Lanka, encouraging good citizenship through sportsmanship and discipline.
Dr. Thevathasan is a Life Fellow Member Royal Society of Medicine (UK), a Member of Society of Occupational Medicine (UK), and an MBA; British Assessment Bureau UK ISO 9001. He is a Consultant Forensic Psychologist and a Consultant in Occupational Health with a special emphasis on mental health and psychological development. He has been the President of Sri Lanka Cricket and Football associations for many years. He continues his philanthropy by feeding hungry children and providing shoes for children in the Galle district of Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lanka Foundation thanks Dr. Ananda Thevathasan, BSc., MBA, Ph.D., Fellow Life Member R.S. of Med, for his decades of work in funding and organizing charities that nurture both the bodies and minds of Sri Lankan youth. His legacy of goodwill will be felt for generations to come.
