Former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara strongly denied claims that he had requested the government to lease out the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club for 20 years.

"The Nuwara Eliya Golf Club for which I have extremely high regard belongs to its members and the leasing of which has never arisen even as a thought in my mind let alone in conversation," Sangakkara said. However, he added that he had requested a land near the golf club for a sports-tourism project based on a newspaper advertisement.

Former MP S.B. Dissanayake said in a press conference that the former Sri Lankan skipper had requested to lease out the golf club to attract tourists.