Pasindu Umayanga Mihiran of Vidyaratena University College, Horana and Kavindu Madushan Karunasinghe of Sri Dheerananda College, Pilimathalawa will represent Sri Lanka at the ASBC Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships in Dubai from August 17 to 31.
They were the only two boxers considered by the selectors as being of international standard during a Selection Trial meet conducted by the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) with the collaboration of the Schools Boxing Association (SBA) at Royal MAS Arena last weekend.
The experienced duo who previously represented the country at Asian junior competitions in Fujairah (UAE) and Kuwait displayed technical excellence and ring-craft to outpoint their opponents as school boxing returned after a hiatus of one and half years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mihiran got the nod against Isuru Dilahara Ratnayake of Pallebowela Secondary School, Narandeniya in the Youth Boys Under-51kgs final while Karunasinghe outgunned another Sri Lanka youth International Senuka Dulran Weerasingha of Mahanama College in the Junior Boys Under-50kg weight class.
“The selection committee looked into the potential of boxers who have the technique and physical fitness. There were only two who had some potential and probably could be groomed for the future. They have the technique, reach and potential to be made into better boxers in the future,” said retired General Jagath Jayasuriya, the chairman of the national boxing selection committee.
Mihiran, who represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Junior Boxing Championship in Fujairah, did not use his left jab but displayed crisp combinations to outclass his rival.
Lanky Karunasinghe, who represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Schoolboys Boxing Championships in Kuwait City, used his longer reach and footwork to craftily keep his opponent at bay. The shorter Weerasingha made a valiant attempt to lead the bout but failed to cut the distance with Karunasinghe scoring with his telling left jabs.