The concept of an outdoor sporting stadium was initially raised by
V. A. Sugathadasa, the
Mayor of Colombo (1956–57, 1963–65), the country's first
Minister of Sports (1966–70) and Chairman of the National Olympic and Commonwealth Games Committee. Construction of the stadium commenced on 16 January 1957 and was completed on 16 December 1962. The stadium was named after Sugathadasa, as he donated the land it was built on. In 1991, an indoor stadium was constructed on the site by the
Mitsui Company for the
1991 South Asian Games, and was opened by President Ranasinghe Premadasa. ==Stadium usage==