Western Province and Central Province were locked in a duel for supremacy in boxing tied with five pugilists each after the men’s semi-finals of the 45th National Sports Festival in Badulla on Friday night.
Sri Lanka’s leading woman pugilist Keshani Hansika led Western Province’s charge in the women’s competition outpointing veteran Army boxer L.G. Chandrika representing Southern Province in a classic Light weight (60kg) contest in the outdoor venue opposite the Uva Provincial Secretariat.
Southpaw Chandrika, 38, took the fight to her opponent 10 years her junior, trying to unsettle her rival with booming left crosses. However, Hansika, a Commonwealth and Asian Games Sri Lanka representative, calmly outboxed Chandrika who was looking to go out in a blaze of glory in her final appearance at the National Sports Festival. Lanky Hansika kept her at bay with sharp left jabs and whipping right uppercuts and hooks before circling out of range to earn a unanimous points decision.
The heavy weights produced some thrilling fare with Police’s H.W.G.P. Rathnasiri (Western) pulling off a crucial win over Army southpaw W.A.R. Sandakelum (Sabaragamuwa).
MEN
Heavy weight (91kg) – J.P.N.N. Jayaweera (Uva) beat H.D. Madushanka (North Central) 5:0, G.A.N. Fernando (Eastern) beat A.R.S.D. Thilakaratna (Sabaragamuwa) walkover;
Super Heavy weight (91+kg) – A.M.I.H. Abeysinghe (North Central) beat P. Dushyanthan (Northern) walkover, A.R.B.E. Thilakaratna (Sabaragamuwa) beat K.M.C.K. Karunanayaka (North Western) RSC injury R2