Two teenagers SPP Angelo of St Sylvester’s College, Kandy and Nirushika Pabodini Jayatissa of DP Wickramasinghe College, Mawathagama were the proud recipients of the Best Boxer awards at the Novices Boxing held at the Royal MAS Arena in Colombo.
The competition for men and women was successfully conducted by the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) with the participation of a record number of 186 pugilists from 20 clubs.
A high standard of boxing was witnessed during the five days with competition being intense, fast and furious with no quarter asked and none given in the curtain raiser of the new season.
The emergence of two talented youth boxers in a tournament where Army fielding four teams produced a dominant performance provided the silver lining.
Angelo and Nirushika, both 19 years old, displayed sound technique and ring-craft to be adjudged the best boxers in the men and women classes respectively.
Sylvestrian Angelo, a two-time Stubbs Shield silver medallist, was consistently outstanding winning all his bouts with consummate ease against tough opponents displaying sound defence and great counter punching skills. He was at his sublime best in the feather weight (under 57kg) final, flooring his rival from Chandrapala from the Air Force with a perfectly time right hook in the final round.
Nirushika representing Uphill BC and a gold medallist at the Youth Championships, has been boxing for just a year but displayed superb skills to outpoint a seasoned Virajini from the Army to win the feather weight (under 57kg) contest on a unanimous decision.
The Best Boxers received prizes of Rs 20,000 each marking the first time in the history of Sri Lanka boxing that cash awards were given to all the winners of the meet.
Army’s Adhikari who featured in a bloody welter weight (under 67kg) battle with MM Paris of St Sylvester’s BC was consoled with the Best Loser’s award after losing a 3:2 decision.
SSP Angelo, AD Adhikari, Nirushika Jayatissa and Sanduni Imesha
Air Force’s newest recruit 19-year-old Sanduni Imesha, a product of Naradeniya CC, Kamburupitiya and gold medallist at the School Girls meet, was adjudged the Best Loser (women) after a plucky display against Hanwella Rajasinghe BC’s Devindi in the light fly weight (under 50kg) final.
Army (Archers) men and women headed the medals tally with four golds apiece while St Sylvester’s BC won three gold medals. Army Red, Army Blue and Army teams won two gold medals each producing 10 winners in the 13-weight men’s competition.
Air Force women lived up to their billing coming a close second in the overall tally winning three gold medals.
Final results
MEN:
Minimum Weight (46-48kg): PKU Silva (Army Archers) beat AAN de Silva (West Coast BC) WP 5:0
Fly Weight (48-51kg): DDM Sampath (Army Archers) beat SPWGC Rathnasiri (Navy Bismark) WP 5:0
Bantam Weight (51-54kg): SPBR Premalal (Army Blue) beat KWSMA Dasunpriya (Army Archers) WP 3:2
Feather Weight (54-57kg): SPP Angelo (St Sylvester’s BC) beat BMM Chandrapala (Air Force) KO R3
Light Weight (57-60kg): RM Pushpakumara (Army Archers) beat HMGCN Dissanayake (Army Red) WP 3:2
Light Welter Weight (60-63.5kg): TDD Upawansha (Army) beat AGVH Jayasinghe (St Sylvester’s BC) WP 4:1
Welter Weight (63.5-67kg): MM Paris (St Sylvester’s BC) beat AADD Adhikari (Army Red) WP 3:2
Light Middle Weight (67-71kg): AACS Kumara (Army Archers) beat V Ratheesh (Hanwella Rajasinghe BC) RSC R1
Middle Weight (71-75kg): YM Usaith (St Sylvester’s BC) beat LGM Bandara (Navy Bismark) RSC R1
Light Heavy Weight (75-80kg): HMMM Herath (Army) beat PA Samarasinghe (Navy Bismark) RSC R1
Cruiser Weight (80-86kg): MDK Silva (Back2Fit) beat JMIPP Kumara (Army Red) WP 4:1
Heavy Weight (86-92kg): WPSK Ranasinghe (Army Red) beat R Deshmikanth (Omega Line) RSC R1
Super Heavy Weight (92+kg): HMCT Weerakoon (Army Blue) beat KG Pitampe (Hanwella Rajasinghe BC) RSC-I R1
WOMEN:
Minimum Weight (45-48Wkg): AGHD Premasiri (Air Force) beat EMSC Chandrasiri (Jayawardenapura University) RSC R1
Light Fly Weight (48-50kg): MDK Devindi (Hanwella Rajasinghe BC) beat NWAS Imesha (Air Force) WP 5:0
Fly Weight (50-52kg): DMKT Dissanayake (Air Force) beat WAW Nawodya (Sivali BC) RSC R1
Bantam Weight (52-54kg): EMKH Ekanayake (Air Force) beat KAHS Dilshani (Army) RSC R1
Feather Weight (54-57kg): RDNP Jayathissa (Uphill) beat PHI Virajani (SLA) WP 5:0
Light Weight (57-60kg): S Rajkumar (BA) beat SIR Pathiraja (Hemamali BC) WP 5:0
Light Welter Weight (60-63kg): JDN Rathnasiri (Back2Fit) beat LDS Silva (Army) ABD R1
Welter Weight (63-66kg): PADR Sanjana (Navy) beat LDD Vimarshana (Army Red) WP 5:0
Light Middle Weight (66-70kg): JMR Rasanjali (Army) beat UGNH Jayathissa (University Peradeniya) RSC R1
Middle Weight (70-75kg): NMMS Narasinghe (Army) beat EMI Bandara (Veyangoda BC) RSC R2
Heavy Weight (81+kg): HADP Wathsala (Army) beat MADDS Kulasinghe (Army Blue) RSC R1
