Namal Rajapaksa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Namal Rajapaksa
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| ලක්ශ්මන් නාමල් රාජපක්ෂ நாமல் ராஜபக்ஷ |
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Namal in 2010
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| Minister of Youth and Sports | |
| In office 12 August 2020 – 3 April 2022 |
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| President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Prime Minister | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| Preceded by | Dullas Alahapperuma |
| Succeeded by | Thenuka Vidanagamage |
| Member of Parliament for National List |
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| Assumed office 21 November 2024 |
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| Member of Parliament for Hambantota District |
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| In office 22 April 2010 – 24 September 2024 |
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| Majority | 166,660 Preferential Votes |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lakshman Namal Rajapaksa
10 April 1986 |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Political party | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna |
| Spouse |
Limini Weerasinghe
(m. 2019) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Mahinda Rajapaksa (father) Shiranthi Rajapaksa (mother) |
| Residences | Colombo and Hambantota |
| Alma mater | S. Thomas' College City University London Sri Lanka Law College |
| Occupation | Lawyer, Politician |
Lakshman Namal Rajapaksa (Sinhala: ලක්ශ්මන් නාමල් රාජපක්ෂ, Tamil: நாமல் ராஜபக்ஷ; born 10 April 1986), known as Namal Rajapaksa, is a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He is the oldest son of former President and former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Namal Rajapaksa is a Member of Parliament (MP) and served as the Minister of Youth and Sports from 2020 to 2022.
Early Life and Education
Namal Rajapaksa was born on 10 April 1986. His parents are Mahinda Rajapaksa and Shiranthi. He has two younger brothers, Yoshitha and Rohitha. His grandfather, Don Alwin Rajapaksa, was also a Member of Parliament and a government minister.
Namal Rajapaksa attended S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia. There, he was the captain of the school's main rugby team. After school, he studied law at Cardiff University and then at City University London. He earned his law degree in September 2006.
Later, he joined Sri Lanka Law College to become an attorney at law. He passed his preliminary exam in October 2009. On 15 December 2011, he officially became an attorney at law.
Sporting Career
Namal Rajapaksa was a talented rugby player from a young age. He played for S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia at all age levels. In 2000, he led the Sri Lankan national team for players under 16. He also captained his school's main team in 2005 and led the Sri Lanka under 19 team in 2004.
While studying at Cardiff University, he played for their rugby team from 2005 to 2006. He continued playing for City University London's team until 2009. In 2009, he joined the Navy SC and was their captain in 2010–2011. In 2010, he was invited to play for the Sri Lanka national rugby union team. He became the team's captain in 2013 and played until he retired from competitive rugby in July 2014.
Political Journey
Namal Rajapaksa began his political career by running in the 2010 Sri Lankan parliamentary election. He was a candidate for the United People's Freedom Alliance in the Hambantota Electoral District. He was successfully elected to the Parliament. His father had been an MP for the Hambantota District for 16 years before becoming president in 2005.
Many people saw Namal Rajapaksa as a rising figure in politics. He often attended important state events. He was also a special guest at ceremonies for new roads, bridges, and schools. Even without a government position, he traveled to many countries on official trips. Sometimes, he went with his father. For example, in January 2011, he led a group of MPs to Libya and met with its leader. He also visited the United Nations Headquarters in September 2010. Other trips included Nepal (March 2011), Palestine (February 2012), Japan (March 2012), South Korea (April 2012), the United States (May 2012), China (May 2013), and Australia (June 2013). He also led Hambantota's attempt to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games, which was not successful. He played a key role in his father's presidential campaign in 2015.
He was re-elected to Parliament in both the 2015 and 2020 elections. In 2020, his uncle, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, appointed him as the Minister of Youth and Sports. However, he resigned from this role in April 2022. This happened during a time of political change in Sri Lanka, when many government ministers also resigned.
On 27 March 2024, Namal Rajapaksa was appointed as the National Organizer of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna political party. On 7 August 2024, his party announced him as their candidate for the 2024 Sri Lankan presidential election. He was the youngest candidate in that election. In the election, he placed fourth, receiving 2.57% of the votes.
For the 2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Namal Rajapaksa did not run for his usual parliamentary seat in the Hambantota Electoral District. Instead, he ran as a member of the National List. This was the first time in 88 years that a member of his family did not contest from the Hambantota district.
Personal Life
Namal Rajapaksa married Limini Weerasinghe on 12 September 2019. Their wedding took place at Gangaramaya Temple. Their first son was born in 2020. The couple welcomed their second child in August 2023.
See also
- List of political families in Sri Lanka
