Sri Lanka’s youth pugilists underlined what was missing at the first selection trial for the Commonwealth Games held a fortnight ago by showing that boxing is not all about brawn but a sweet scientific art at a selection boxing meet for the Under-22 Asian Boxing Championship at the Royal MAS Arena on Friday.
Some of the young stars even put to shame the brawling skills of some senior boxers with their exhibition of technical excellence giving a reminder that sound technique will prevail over brute force.
It vindicated national boxing selection committee chairman Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya’s insistence that the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) should invest in the youth to develop boxing in future instead of keeping faith in spent bullets.
The quality of boxing witnessed during the three-day trial was of the highest quality taking into consideration many of them were ill-prepared since they were unable to train properly because of the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BASL is planning to send an eight-member team for the inaugural ASBC Asian Under-22 Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan next month but they must ensure that Sri Lanka’s representatives undergo national pool training before embarking on a major international tournament.
Such was the high standard of competition that Elite National poolist Lasindu Eranda of Vidyarathena University College (VUC) was given a run for his money by Nisal Rangana Bandara representing St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy in the fly weight (51kg) final.
An experienced campaigner at local and international level, Eranda dominated the bout with his aggression and swinging powerful combinations pinning his opponent on the ropes on several occasions.
A three-time Stubbs Shied champion, southpaw Bandara was equal to the task moving deftly by rolling away from the hooks of Eranda and sneaking in combinations of his own though not enough to get the nod.
Flexi BC’s Kavinda Sanjaya Bandara won a closely contested light fly weight (48kg) contest against VUC’s Maduranga Gunawardana but it was the final bout of the evening which raised the roof producing blood and thunder.
In a bloody light welter weight (63kg) battle following a clash of heads, there was little to choose between Army’s Yogeswaran Kiritharan and Chethiya Ekanayake of Up Country Lions BC, a product of Dheerananda Central College, Pilimathalawa.
Both were unyielding at close range, unloading explosive blows with the tough soldier earning a split decision.
Among the women’s contestants, Flexi’s Uthpala Sewwandi Botalage and Nishanthi Malshani impressed and looked promising.
Results: FINALS
WOMEN
Light Fly weight (48kg) – WN Sandeepani (Narandeniya BC) beat Y Nitharsana (Vavuniya District Boxing Association) WP 5:0
Fly (W50kg) – BU Sewwandi (Flexi) beat PM Widanagamage (NBC) WP 5:0
Bantam (W52kg) – LIN Malshani (NBC) beat HS Ishara (Flexi) ABD R2
MEN
Light Fly weight (48kg) – SMKS Bandara (Flexi) beat AHM Gunawardana (Vidyarathena University College) WP 4:1
Fly (51kg) – KVL Eranda (VUC) beat EMNR Bandara (St Sylvester’s College, Kandy) WP 5:0
Bantam (54kg) – DGDM Bandara (Flexi) beat H Priyanath Walpola (Hanwella Rajasinghe BC) WP 4:0
Feather (57kg) – HGC Lakshan (NBC) beat Suraj Thisantha (VUC) WP 5:0
Light (60kg) – LRGG Pahasara (Up Country Lions BC) beat RGK Wishva (Royal BC) RSC R3
Light Welter (63kg) – Y Kiritharan (Army) beat HMKC Ekanayake (UCL) WP 3:2