(Recipient of the Sri Lankan Presidential Award in 2009 and Multiple National Media Awards for promoting Sri Lanka as a Tourist Destination)

Established at the request of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB), AdeZ is legally registered (Reg. No. W/H/7368 of 19th Nov 2008) entity with a 20-year history of spearheading critical national initiatives during the times of crisis. During the ethnic war that lasted 29 years, the tourism was at its lowest, effecting 1.5M direct and indirect jobs. AdeZ worked tirelessly to promote the country as a tourist destination (of course free of charge) for 5 years and we were given the Presidential Award for promoting and marketing Sri Lanka as a tourist destination. We were also given 2 national awards for our 2 documentaries. Our documentary “Sri Lanka- A Land Like No Other” became the official documentary of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board for 3 years (2007-2009)

Tsunami Tragedy

Nearly 40,000 people perished due to 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka. In one incident “ Tsunami Train Disaster” more than 1400 died within 30 minutes when the tsunami waves toppled the entire train killing all but 100. After the 3rd day there were nearly 800 unclaimed bodies, and due to health reasons the higher authorities decided to bury all unclaimed bodies in the presence of GMR-Railway and the Chief Justice in three mass graves close to the beach. AdeZ conducted multi religious programmes on the 26th Dec every year for 5 years for the benefit of the family members, relatives of the tsunami victims.

Now Sri Lanka is a top destination for travel and tourism and the word Tsunami has disappeared from Sri Lanka but the bigger problem has surfaced-Global Warming and it has come to stay. We conducted several climate change awareness programmes since 2017 and now we are into action to counter climate change. The programme we initiated in 2017 “Earth Watchman” had to put on hold due to Covid and thereafter Sri Lanka was declared bankrupt. The saddest part was the President of Sri Lanka HE Maithripala Sirisena planted the first tree for the Earth Watchman programme never got off the ground.

Now we are into harness the power of football to counter climate change. “Green Through Football” is a landmark sustainability initiative by the AdeZ Foundation, dedicated to combating climate change, global warming and environmental degradation through the unifying power of football. Driven by a vision of a greener planet, this project bridges athletic excellence with urgent environment action.

The Seed of Inspiration: Honouring the FIFA World Cup Champions

The inaugural phase of this programme was successfully executed to honour the World Champions of the Spanish National Football Team. To celebrate their historic triumph and commitment to excellence, AdeZ Foundation planted 27 Mee trees at the Sri Lanka Technology Campus grounds. Each tree stands as a living monument at a player’s dedication, symbolizing growth, resilience and deep- rooted impact of global icons inspiring local environmental change.

This remarkable event captured nationwide attention, earning a special feature in the Sunday Island- a national newspaper which highlighted AdeZ Foundation forward thinking approach to blending youth sports culture with ecological responsibility.

The Next Frontier: The 100 – Tree Semi Forest Project

Building on the momentum of our inaugural event, AdeZ Foundation is proud to announce its next ambitious environmental frontier. We are expanding our footprint from symbolic campus planting to large-scale reforestation.

Our upcoming project aims to plant 100 trees per player within a dedicated semi forest area. This massive ecological drive will significantly accelerate our carbon sequestration efforts, restore local biodiversity, and establish a thriving micro-ecosystem capable of actively countering the accelerating effects of global warming.

Why Green Through Football

Climate Change Mitigation: Actively reducing carbon footprints through strategic, dense reforestation

Global Warming Defense: Creating natural cooling zones and restoring degraded semi forest ecosystems

Inspiring the Next Generation: Using the global appeal of football to mobilize students, athletes and the community towards climate action.

Event Gallery

Explore the moments that started it all. Browse through our official event photographs below to see Professionals, Academic Staff, Environmentalists, Sports Veterans bringing the Green Through Football initiative to life.