Sri Lanka Reports Third Consecutive Food Award in Rome

Sri Lanka’s embassy in Rome reports winning the Best Food award for a third consecutive year at the Commonwealth Food Fair on 26 September 2026.

The event took place at the Roma Cricket Ground alongside the Commonwealth Club Cricket Cup. The embassy team also finished third in the tournament and received the Best Team Jersey trophy, according to the mission.

The Commonwealth Club of Rome organised the programme with UISP Roma under the patronage of the Italian Cricket Federation.

Sri Lanka’s embassy participated with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, bringing together food promotion, tourism information and cricket.

The Sri Lankan stall was catered by Suresh Food & Drinks Restaurant in Rome, operated by Suresh Kekulthotuwage.

Its menu included kottu, chicken fried rice, pol roti with seeni sambol, vegetable rolls, chicken patties and watalappan, accompanied by Ceylon Tea.

The embassy and tourism bureau also provided information on Sri Lankan cultural heritage, destinations, beaches and wildlife.

Ambassador Satya Rodrigo discussed cricket’s role in bringing Sri Lankan communities together during an interview with Gazzetta Diplomatica at the venue.

Five teams participated, according to the embassy: Bangladesh and Sri Lanka’s diplomatic missions, a United Nations team representing Rome-based agencies, the Commonwealth Club of Rome, and a combined Rome International–University of Cassino team.

The latter included students from India and Pakistan.

The embassy describes its team jersey as combining maroon and gold with lion and lotus imagery and landmarks of Rome.

Sri Lanka first entered the event in 2024, when the embassy reports finishing second in cricket and winning Best Food. It reports retaining the food title and finishing third in 2025.

The mission thanked the tourism bureau, Sri Lankan community members and other contributors involved in its participation.