Pallebowala National School, Haguranketha created school boxing history when they emerged champions in the 2022 TB Jayah inter-school boys boxing championships for novices held at Jayathilaka Indoor Stadium, Nawalapitiya.
The meet was conducted by the Schools Boxing Association of Sri Lanka with the participation of 85 schools and 380 competitors representing famed top boxing schools like Royal College and Trinity College.
Pallebowala National School nestles in the Nuwara Eliya district and its students do not have access to the bare essentials for day to day living leave alone indulging in sport.
Pallebowala National School won four gold medals and one silver medal to obtain 31 points.
Their gold medal winners were JMT Deshan (junior boys 52kg), NPGMM Bandara (junior boys 48kg), JID Ratnayake (senior boys 54kg) and HGKK Gunawardena (senior boys 51kg). The silver medal was won by KGSK Heshan Silva (junior boy 50kg). Trinity College, Kandy who won three gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal were runners-up.
RS Weerasekeram, RN Weerasekera and S Jagnath Varshit won gold medals.
P Sooriyabandara won a silver while Salman Faris claimed a bronze medal.
Mahanama College, Colombo clinched third position overall winning three gold medals and one silver medal.
This is the second major triumph for Pallebowala National School whose girls emerged champions in the Donald Munasinghe Trophy tournament for freshers earlier this year.
One of the poorest schools in the country with very few facilities for sport, the boxing team is coached by Jamitha Bandara.
SSP Angelo of St Sylvester’s College, Kandy was adjudged the Best Boxer of the tournament while GVP Mihiran of Vidyaratena University College, Horana was the Best Loser.