Four brave Sri Lankan boxers bowed out in the semi-finals of the ASBC Asian Under-22 and Youth Boxing Championships but earned pride and podium finishes by securing four bronze medals for the host nation at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo yesterday.
With these results, Sri Lanka’s total medal count rose to five bronze medals in the tournament, marking a strong home performance despite the semi-final heartbreak.
In a thrilling day of action, Weliketiye Gedara Warnakulasooriya (48kg), Ampa Witana Arachchilage Jayathissa (57kg), Pavani Muthugala Yapa Mudiyanselage (women’s 48kg) and Kapila Sugathadasa (officiating but representing Sri Lanka on the judges’ panel) all played their part in a significant day for the home side.
Sri Lanka’s Weliketiye Gedara Warnakulasooriya (Red) in action
Warnakulasooriya gave a gritty display in the 48kg youth category but fell short against Kazakhstan’s Nurkhan Kumarbekov, who won by a unanimous decision (5:0).
The Sri Lankan fighter kept pushing forward but couldn’t match the Kazakh’s precision and ring control.
Jayathissa, boxing in the 57kg class, went up against Kazakhstan’s Nygmet Nygman and was also defeated by a unanimous decision (5:0). The judges’ scores reflected the technical edge of the Kazakh boxer, though the Sri Lankan showed flashes of determination and crowd-pleasing aggression.
In the Women’s 48kg division, Muthugala Yapa fought hard but lost 4:1 to Chanchal Kumari of India. The narrow margins in the scorecards suggested a close contest, with the Lankan boxer making a strong impression despite the loss.
Though they didn’t make it to the gold medal bouts, all four Sri Lankans earned bronze medals for reaching the semi-finals – an encouraging sign for the country’s youth boxing program. Earlier in the tournament, Sri Lanka had already secured a bronze medal, bringing the total to five. It is the island nation’s best performance at this level in recent years and a major milestone as it hosted the championship on home soil.
Organised by the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC), the tournament has attracted top youth talent from across the continent.
Despite the tough outcomes, Sri Lanka’s young boxing stars have shown that they belong on the continental stage.
The championship continues with final bouts scheduled for today, where Asia’s best young pugilists will compete for gold.
