Sports
Awa Jayathissa wins Best Boxer award
Peradeniya Central win overall title of LV Jayaweera Championship
Peradeniya Central College emerged overall champions at the 47th L.V. Jayaweera Memorial Boxing Championship after a gap of 14 years, producing four gold medallists at the inter-school meet held at the Kantale Town Hall.
The competition for schoolboy freshers was conducted by the Schools Boxing Association of Sri Lanka. The tournament saw nearly 400 pugilists from 89 schools vying for honours during the five-day event.
LYGRM Karunarathna, KCB Samaranayaka, PWGGV Dissanayaka and GKWGMM Ranaweera were the gold medal winners for Peradeniya Central College who are also the reigning Stubbs Shield champions.
Kadugannawa National School finished in second position having three gold medallists and two bronze medallists. AWA Jayathissa of Kadugannawa National School who won the Junior Boys 50-52kg weight class was rewarded for his consistent performance with the Best Boxer’s award.
NMA Rahman of Zahira Boys College, Katugastota who lost a narrow decision to PWGGV Dissanayaka of Peradeniya CC in the Junior Boys 48-50kg weight class was consoled with the Best Loser’s prize.
SMAK Prabodha of Central College, Bandarawela who won the Youth Boys (51-54kg) weight class defeating MMRP Bandara of St Sylvester’s College, Kandy received the most promising boxer award from a recently affiliated school.
Former St Sylvester’s College, Kandy and Sri Lanka boxing captain and South Asian Games medallist SSP Saman Gunaratne (Zonal Commander – Vavuniya) was present at the awards ceremony on the final day while another former St Sylvester’s College captain and Stubbs Shield Best Boxer DIG Trincomalee Lionel Goonetilleke was present during the semifinals.
Results
FINALS
School Boy (33-35kg):
HPT Nethsanda (Naradeniya National School) beat CD Weerasingha (Gamini Central College, Ingiriya) WP 4:1
School Boy (35-37kg):
TS Amarakoon (Koraboruwana Maha Vidyalaya) beat TGCB Thabavita (Gamini Central College, Ingiriya) WP 4:1
School Boy (37-39kg):
LYGRM Karunarathna (Peradeniya Central College) beat RN Dilshan (Koraboruwana Maha Vidyalaya) WP 3:2
School Boy (39-41kg):
KCB Samaranayaka (Peradeniya Central College) beat GD Roshana (Gamini Central College, Ingiriya) WP 4:1
School Boy (41-43kg):
KAS Kaveesha (Mahanama College, Colombo) beat RKGS Sadaruwan (Kengalla National School) WP 5:0
School Boy (43-45kg):
RAMD Senanayaka (Kadugannawa National School) beat MN Udukala (Vidyarathena University College, Horana) WP 3:2
Junior Boy (44-46kg):
LDN Gimhana (Koraboruwana Maha Vidyalaya) beat DMRL Hettiarachchi (Dharmaraja College, Kandy) RSC R2
Junior Boy (46-48kg):
MA Rashmika (Mahanama College, Colombo) beat WAKB Weerasinghe (Sivali College, Ratnapura) P 3:2
Junior Boy (48-50kg):
PWGGV Dissanayaka (Peradeniya Central College) beat NMA Rahman (Zahira Boys College, Katugastota) WP 3:2
Junior Boy (50-52kg):
AWA Jayathissa (Kadugannawa National School) beat S Thilakshan (Holy Trinity Central College, Nuwara Eliya) WP 5:0
Junior Boy (52-54kg):
Basith (Zahira College, Colombo) beat IND Thathsara (Nalanda College, Colombo) WP 4:1
Junior Boy (54-57kg):
LDD Rashmika (Seelaratne Maha Vidyalaya, Dombagoda) beat HPNS Thejan (St Aloysious College, Ratnapura) WP 5:0
Youth Boy (46-48kg):
AST Samaraweera (St Mary’s National College, Veyangoda) beat KSP Lakshan (Koraboruwana Maha Vidyalaya) WP 4:1
Youth Boy (48-51kg):
GKWGMM Ranaweera (Peradeniya Central College) beat AIP Fernando (St Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa) WP 4:1
Youth Boy (51-54kg):
SMAK Prabodha (Central College, Bandarawela) beat MMRP Bandara (St Sylvester’s College, Kandy) 4:1
Youth Boy (54-57kg):
PKML Samarasekera (Bandaranayake College, Veyangoda) beat Mohamed Fazil (St Sylvester’s College, Kandy) 3:2
Youth Boy (57-60kg):
WA Madushanka (St Joseph’s College, Negombo) beat JK Ferdinando (S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia) RSC R1
Senior Boy (46-48kg):
TGND Samarakoon (Kadugannawa National School) beat WAKAN Weerasooriya (Bandaranayake College, Gampaha) RSC R2
Senior Boy (48-51kg):
PMV Wihanga (Sri Sumanagala Vidyalaya) beat Ahmedh Rafik (Zahira College, Colombo) WP 3:2
Senior Boy (51-54kg):
EDDS Siriwardana (Gintota Maha Vidyalaya) beat WMCR Wijeynayaka (Pilimathalawa Central College) WP 4:1
Senior Boy (54-57kg):
M Vipuzan (Vipulananda College) beat SR Abeyweera (Nalanda College, Colombo) KO R1
Senior Boy (57-60kg):
DGM Munasinghe (Central College, Bandarawela) beat DH Amanda Tharujitha (Ananda College, Colombo) WP 3:2
Senior Boy (63.5kg):
M Farook (Zahira College, Colombo) beat RMWLY Rathnayaka (Kandy Model National School) WP 5:0
Youth Boy (63.5kg):
AMM Hakeem (Azhar Central College, Akurana) beat WATV Nemsith (Royal College, Colombo) WP 4:1
Junior Boy (46Bkg):
SDHM Dilhara (Sivali College, Ratnapura) beat Muhammad Yusuf (Zahira College, Colombo) WP 4:1
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix that were scheduled for next month are set to be cancelled as a result of the war in the Middle East.
A formal decision to call off the races has not yet been made but is expected before the end of the weekend.
Freight would need to start being shipped to the Middle East in the coming days. With no sign of the conflict between the US/Israel and Iran coming to a conclusion, holding the races would put personnel at too great a risk.
Neither event will be replaced, with the season being cut to 22 grands prix and F1 taking a commercial hit of more than £100m, given Bahrain and Saudi Arabia pay two of the highest hosting fees.
The race in Bahrain was scheduled to be on 12 April with Jeddah the following weekend.
Consideration was given to holding events at Portimao in Portugal, Imola in Italy or Istanbul Park in Turkey.
But it was accepted that the time to organise a race at any of those locations was too short, and there was little chance of securing a hosting fee.
The decision will mean there is a five-week break between the Japanese Grand Prix on 29 March and Miami on 3 May.
(BBC)
Royal College made steady progress in reply to their arch rivals’ first innings total as skipper Rehan Peiris and Ramiru Perera guided them to 175 for four wickets at stumps on day two of the 147th Battle of the Blues at the SSC ground on Friday.
Royal needed only 51 overs to reach their end-of-day total after S. Thomas’ College had earlier adopted a cautious approach before being bowled out for 302 runs.
Royal suffered an early setback when open batsman Hirun Liyanarachchi was dismissed for naught in the very first over, caught behind by Aaron Kodituwakku off the bowling of Gimhan Mendis.
Skipper Rehan Peiris then steadied the innings, repairing the early damage with two useful partnerships. He first added 41 runs for the second wicket with Udantha Gangewatta and followed it up with a 34-run stand for the third wicket alongside Sri Lanka Under-19 skipper Vimath Dinsara.
Dinsara struggled to find fluency during his stay at the crease, managing 11 runs off 30 balls before being trapped leg-before by Gimhan Mendis, who finished the day with two wickets.
Rehan continued to anchor the innings and produced the most productive stand of the Royal innings when he combined with Ramiru Perera for a vital 78-run partnership for the fourth wicket. The Royal skipper’s determined knock finally ended on 63 when he was dismissed by Ludeesha Matarage.
From there, Ramiru Perera and Yasindu Dissanayake ensured there were no further setbacks, batting cautiously until bad light forced the umpires to call off play.
Perera remained unbeaten on 70, an attractive innings that included ten boundaries, while Dissanayake provided solid support at the other end as Royal closed the day strongly.
Earlier in the day, resuming from their overnight score, the Thomians continued with their ultra-cautious approach, scoring at just over two runs per over. Reshon Solomon top-scored with 66 runs, while Ludeesha Matarage and Raphael Hettige chipped in with useful contributions in the twenties.
S. Thomas’ were eventually bowled out for 302 just before the lunch interval on the second day, having consumed 124 overs during their four-session first innings.
Gagan Gamage was the pick of the Royal bowlers with impressive figures of four wickets for 49 runs. He received good support from Sehandu Sooriyaarachchi, who claimed three wickets for 64 runs, while Himaru Deshan picked up two wickets for 43. Ramiru Perera also chipped in with a wicket to complete the Thomian innings.
West Indies have named an unchanged squad for the upcoming home T20I series against Australia following the 2-0 loss to Sri Lanka.
The squad, led by Hayley Matthews, will take on the No. 1-ranked Australia side at the Arnos Vale Cricket Ground in Kingstown for all three games. The squad is a mix of experienced players such as Matthews, Stafanie Taylor, Shemaine Campbelle and Deandra Dottin with teenage prospects Eboni Brathwaite and Jahzara Claxton. The series forms a key part of the teams’ preparation for the T20 World Cup in June this year in the UK.
“We’re really excited about the opportunity to play the number one ranked ODI and T20 team in the world,” head coach Shane Deitz said. “It’s just before the World Cup, so it’s a great opportunity to see where we are in our preparation. Playing against the best team in the world, we can see where our deficiencies are and where things are working well as we look forward to the tournament in June in England.
“It’s going to be a very tough series, but the players are up for the challenge. We haven’t played them in a competitive match since October 2023, so it’ll be good to see the progression of the team since that last meeting, namely in how much we’ve improved in certain areas and where we still need to improve moving forward. Our players are ready to show their skills and demonstrate the talent in this West Indies group. It’s going to be a fantastic tour and entertaining for everyone.”
The first T20I is scheduled for March 19 followed by the next two on March 21 and 23. The teams will also play a three-match ODI series following the T20Is at Warner Park in St. Kitts and Nevis. The tour was also supposed to include a Test match but it was dropped with the hosts wanting to prioritize white-ball cricket ahead of the T20 World Cup.
West Indies women T20I squad:
Hayley Matthews (captain), Chinelle Henry, Aaliyah Alleyne, Eboni Brathwaite, Shemaine Campbelle, Jahzara Claxton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Jannillea Glasgow, Shawnisha, Hector, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara, Mannar and Anuradhapura districts after 2.00 pm.
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