Sandaruwan Kumara and Dilrukshi Priyadarshani Dissanayake were adjudged Best Boxers at the North Central Province meet which served as a qualifier for the 47th National Sports Festival at the National Sports Complex in Polonnaruwa.
The duo were a cut above the rest as pugilists from the Polonnaruwa district dominated the keenly contested selection meet conducted by the Department of Sports in the North Central Province.
Polonnaruwa had no less than ten gold medallists while their rivals from Anuradhapura displayed talent and had the satisfaction of producing a handful of winners in the finals.
Kumara, an Army poolist, displayed superb technique and ring-craft to outpoint his game rival from Anuradhapura, Wijethunga, in the feather weight (under 57kg) final. A gold medallist at the National Sports Festival, the 31-year-old Corporal attached to the Engineering Services Regiment calmly out-boxed his opponent to dominate the contest.
Dissanayake, 28, a sports coach in a school in Polonnaruwa outclassed Senarath in the minimum weight (under 48kg) final with the referee stopping the lopsided contest in the first round. A two-time bronze medallist at the National Sports Festival, Dissanayake is also a fine middle distance athlete holding district and provincial records in the 5,000 metres.
There were also impressive performances from Light Welter weight winner Danushka Bandara of Anuradhapura and a veteran from Polonnaruwa, Asanka Rathnaweera, who stunned Chandrapala in the Light Middle weight contest.
Results finals
MEN
Feather weight (54-57kg): BRLS Kumara (Polonnaruwa) beat RWHS Wijethunga (Anuradhapura)
Light weight (57-60kg): WPD Madushanka (Polonnaruwa) beat PASL Perera (Polonnaruwa)
Light Welter weight (60-63.5kg): DBADD Bandara (Anuradhapura) beat TDD Upawansha (Anuradhapura)
Welter weight (63.5-67kg): IMSB Ilangarathna (Anuradhapura) beat KJA Ravindu (Anuradhapura)
Light Middle weight (67-71kg): RHAJ Rathnaweera (Polonnaruwa) beat TB Chandrapala (Anuradhapura)
Middle weight (71-75kg): YGI Herath (Polonnaruwa) beat KMGHC Bandara (Polonnaruwa)
Light Heavy weight (75-80kg): JMIP Pushpakumara (Polonnaruwa) beat GGDS Munasingha (Polonnaruwa)
Cruiser weight (80-86kg): KSS Kumara (Anuradhapura) beat WD Ranathunga (Polonnaruwa)
Heavy weight (86-92kg): PARS Rupasingha (Police) uncontested
Super Heavy weight (92+kg): AMIH Abeysingha (Polonnaruwa) beat AKM Rizwan (Anuradhapura)
WOMEN
Minimum weight (45-48kg): DMPDP Dissanayaka (Polonnaruwa) beat NMSMS Senarath (Polonnaruwa)
Fly weight (48-51kg): RPHS Bandara (Anuradhapura) beat KDP Ishari (Polonnaruwa)
Bantam weight (51-54kg): AGN Madukalpani (Anuradhapura) beat WAC Harshamali (Anuradhapura)
Middle weight (69-75kg): DAIM Arachchi (Polonnaruwa) beat PGPTN Bandara (Police)