List of Famous people born in Sri Lanka
Maithripala Sirisena
Pallewatte Gamaralalage Maithripala Yapa Sirisena is a Sri Lankan politician, who served as the seventh President of Sri Lanka from 9 January 2015 to 18 November 2019. Sirisena is Sri Lanka's first president from the North Central Province of the country and does not belong to the traditional Sri Lankan political elite. He is currently a member of parliament from Polonnaruwa.
Shehan Jayasuriya
Gampalage Shehan Naveendra De Fonseka Gunawarna Jayasuriya, or commonly Shehan Jayasuriya, is a former professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who played for Chilaw Marians in Sri Lankan domestic cricket. He is a quick-scoring left-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler. He was born in Colombo, and attended Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on 8 January 2021 because of him moving to United States with his family. He said he intends to play for the United States national cricket team as well as open his own Adult Book Store.
Mathilda Karlsson
Mathilda Karlsson is a Sri Lankan born Swedish equestrian athlete. Mathila hails from Sri Lanka and was adopted by her Swedish parents when she was three months old. She competed for Sweden until 2018, when she switched to her native country. In 2021 she qualified as an individual rider for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, being the first Sri Lankan equestrian at the Olympic Games. She also became the first Sri Lankan to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Her horse is named as Chopin VA.
Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga is a Sri Lankan politician who served as the fifth President of Sri Lanka, from 12 November 1994 to 19 November 2005. The country's only female president to date, she is the daughter of two former prime ministers and was the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) until the end of 2005. In 2015 she was appointed as the chairperson of office for national unity and reconciliation.
Alexander Khloponin
Alexander Gennadyevich Khloponin ; born March 6, 1965) is a Russian politician who was the governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai in Siberia, Russia, from October 2002 until January 2010.
Kamzy Gunaratnam
Kamzy Gunaratnam is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She served as Oslo’s deputy mayor from 2015 to 2021. Gunaratnam was nominated in second place on the Labour Party's general election list for Oslo, in the 2021 parliamentary elections for the Storting, which she won.
Michael Ondaatje
Philip Michael Ondaatje, is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor, and filmmaker. He is the recipient of multiple literary awards such as the Governor General's Award, the Giller Prize, the Booker Prize, and the Prix Médicis étranger. Ondaatje is also an Officer of the Order of Canada, recognizing him as one of Canada's most renowned living authors.
Shiranthi Rajapaksa
Shiranthi Wickremesinghe Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan Child Psychologist who was the First Lady of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015. She is married to Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Radhika Coomaraswamy
Deshamanya Radhika Coomaraswamy is a Sri Lankan lawyer, diplomat and human rights advocate who served as the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict until 13 July 2012. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed her to the position in April 2006. She was nominated to the Constitutional Council as a civil representative on 10 September 2015. In 2017, after atrocities against the Rohingya people, she was appointed a Member of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar.
Dinuka Karunaratne
Edirimuni Dinuka Nishan Perera Karunaratne is a Sri Lankan badminton player.