Sports

Team remain positive despite four early defeats at Asian Elite Boxing Championships

Published

2 years ago

2024/12/2

Suranga Fernando showed remarkable composure in his welterweight (67kg) bout.

Sri Lanka began its journey at the ASBC Asian Elite Men and Women Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with a mixed start, suffering four losses on the first two days but receiving a favourable draw that boosts medal prospects. With six boxers advancing directly to the quarterfinals, the team has strong chances to secure podium finishes.

The official draw on Friday proved fortunate for Sri Lanka, with four men and two women progressing directly to the quarterfinals. Among the male contenders, middleweight Yazmin Mohommed Usaith will face Liu Cheng Eng of Chinese Taipei on December 4, while bantamweight Ravindu Jayanath Kumara and light flyweight Hasitha Nuwan Jinadasa await their opponents in the quarterfinal stage. Flyweight contender Godakandalage Pasindu Umayanga Mihiran will battle Malaysia’s Muhammad Abdul Qayyam for a place in the semi-finals.

In the women’s division, featherweight Kasturi Arachchige Keshani Hansika and minimum weight Nadeeka Pushpakumari Ranasinghe have also advanced directly to the quarterfinals. Ranasinghe will take on Vietnam’s Ngo Ngoc Linh Chi as she vies for a medal.

For the remaining Sri Lankan boxers, the journey begins in the preliminary rounds. Meanwhile, in the women’s flyweight division, Hanwellage Sanduni Priyadarshani faces Ukraine’s Umansika Svitlana, and Ishara Thushari Perera takes on Chiu Ching Yu of Chinese Taipei in the light flyweight division.

Yesterday, in the men’s featherweight category, Podi Arachchige Rukmal Prasanna was scheduled to square off against Turkmenistan’s Muhanaov Dovlet.

But he was replaced by Shukur Ovezov and the 21-year-old used his height advantage against Sri Lanka’s Commonwealth Games quarter-finalist. The Sri Lankan was smaller and tried to be patient against his 10cm taller opponent from Turkmenistan. Muhanov landed his shots from safest distance and he eliminated the more experienced Sri Lankan in a tactical bout.

Also on Sunday, Ukraine’s Ivan Sapun won a quick contest against Sithija Prathap Sudamma in the last match.

On the opening day, Pathum Suranga Fernando and Chinthana Udaya Kumara delivered spirited performances despite their losses against formidable opponents. Despite the setbacks, the performances of the Sri Lankan boxers reflected grit and determination as they faced some of the best in Asia at the Maejo University Stadium.

Sri Lanka Army’s national champion Fernando, a southpaw, showed remarkable composure in his welterweight (67kg) bout against Turkmenistan’s Saparmyrat Odayev, a former ASBC Asian Youth silver medallist. Fernando, fighting out of the blue corner, demonstrated control by leading with jabs and maintaining distance at times, but his efforts were overshadowed by Odayev’s technical prowess.

Odayev, a quarter-finalist at the 1st World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event, dominated the bout with unanimous scores of 30:27 from all five judges. While Fernando’s initiative and resilience were evident, Odayev’s superior skills and experience secured his place in the quarter-finals, moving closer to his goal of winning his first ASBC Asian Elite Championship medal.

Veteran Air Force national champion Udaya Kumara, a gold medallist at an international event in Seychelles, faced Bozorboy Matyakubov of Ukraine in the light middleweight (71kg) category. Matyakubov, a former European Youth Champion, recently moved up to the division but showcased his class with a dominant performance across all three rounds.

Kumara displayed courage and determination, recovering from two quick standing ‘eight’ counts in the first round to counter with powerful right crosses and left hooks. However, Matyakubov’s precision jabs and defensive skills neutralised Kumara’s aggression, earning the 21-year-old Ukrainian a clear victory.

Next up for Sri Lanka will be another Army national champion Yagamage Sithija Prathap Sudamma, who will enter the ring on Day 2 in the light heavyweight (80kg) category against Ukraine’s Sapun Ivan in the final bout of the day. Sudamma’s bout is highly anticipated as the Sri Lankan team looks to turn their fortunes around.

The championships, held at Maejo University Stadium, commenced with a grand opening ceremony led by ASBC President Pichai Chunhavajira. The event featured cultural performances and welcomed boxers from 21 participating nations, including Afghanistan, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and host Thailand.

The event’s grand opening ceremony, led by ASBC President Pichai Chunhavajira, showcased the cultural heritage of Thailand, setting the stage for an intense and exciting competition.

Despite a challenging start, Sri Lanka, represented by a large contingent of 12 boxers, remained focused on showcasing their skills and determination on the continental stage.

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Sports

Rajiva wins gold and silver medals at Singapore Masters Athletics Meet‎

Published

58 mins ago

2026/06/8

Thilina Walpola

Masters double international Rajiva Wijetunge, who participated in his 100th athletics meet, made it a memorable one by winning gold for Shot Put and silver for Discus Throw in the 65 – 69 age category at the Singapore Masters Athletics Meet conducted at the Home of Athletics Stadium, Kallang Singapore over the weekend. With the gold and the sliver madals won by Rajiva, his international medals tally stands at 34 on his 67th birthday today (June 08).

Sports

Dinara and Aahil crowned ITF J30 week 2 champions at SSC

Published

1 hour ago

2026/06/8

Thilina Walpola

Dinara de Silva and Aahil Kaleel pose with Chammika de Silva (Tournament Detector) after they won the titles. (Pic by Kamal Wanniarachchi

The ITF J30 Week 2 Junior Tennis Tournament concluded at the SSC Courts on Sunday with Sri Lanka’s rising stars Dinara de Silva and Aahil Kaleel emerging as the girls’ and boys’ singles champions respectively.

‎The St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo player produced a commanding performance in the girls’ singles final, defeating fellow Sri Lankan Yuhansa Peiris 4-1, 4-1 to secure the title. The victory marked another significant achievement for one of the country’s leading junior players.

‎According to family sources, the tournament is expected to be Dinara’s final ITF Junior event on Sri Lankan soil, making the title triumph a memorable farewell appearance before she turns her attention to competitions abroad.

‎In the boys’ singles final, S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia player Aahil Kaleel battled back strongly to defeat India’s Chauhan Shiok 4-5, 4-0, 10-6 in an entertaining contest. After narrowly losing the opening set, Aahil dominated the second set before holding his nerve in the match tie-break to clinch the championship.

‎The victory was historic for Aahil, who became the first Sri Lankan player in 14 years to win the boys’ singles title at an ITF Junior tournament held in Sri Lanka. The last local player to achieve the feat was Shamal Dissanayake, who captured the title in 2012.

‎Adding further significance to the double success, both Dinara and Aahil train under the guidance of the Dineshkanthan Tennis School, highlighting the academy’s growing contribution to the development of Sri Lankan junior tennis.

‎The tournament concluded on a positive note for Sri Lanka, with local players claiming both singles titles and demonstrating the promising future of the country’s next generation of tennis talent.

Sports

Rumesh’s Rome heroics a watershed moment for Sri Lankan Athletics

Published

1 hour ago

2026/06/8

Thilina Walpola

Rumesh Tharanga in action in Rome.

Sri Lanka’s former national javelin record holders Sachith Maduranga and Waruna Lakshan Dayaratne have hailed Rumesh Tharanga’s historic performance at the Rome Diamond League as a defining moment for Sri Lankan athletics, saying it has shattered long-standing misconceptions about the country’s ability to compete with the world’s best.

‎Tharanga produced a stunning world-leading throw of 92.62 metres at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea meeting in Rome, setting a new meet record and becoming the first Sri Lankan athlete to win a Diamond League event.

‎Former national record holder Sachith Maduranga described the achievement as a watershed moment that had broken a number of myths which had prevented Sri Lankan athletes from believing they could excel at the highest international level.

‎”He has taken the javelin to a totally new level,” Maduranga said in an interview with The Island from Australia.

‎Reflecting on Tharanga’s early days in the sport, Maduranga recalled the confidence and determination displayed by the athlete from a young age.

‎”In one of his first encounters with me, he said that he would definitely break my junior record,” Maduranga said.

‎The former Asian Championships medallist revealed that after Tharanga’s impressive performances as a junior athlete, he strongly encouraged him to seek overseas training opportunities. Maduranga said he, together with a former president of Sri Lanka Athletics, had urged Tharanga to follow a similar path to the one that helped him secure success at the continental level.

‎However, Tharanga remained committed to working under his long-time coach Tony Prasanna.

‎”But he insisted that he would continue to train with his coach Tony Prasanna. Now he has proven that the knowledge of his local coach was enough to beat the world. This is phenomenal,” Maduranga said.

‎Former national record holder Waruna Lakshan Dayaratne also praised Tharanga’s remarkable achievement, joining the growing chorus of admiration for a performance that has elevated Sri Lankan athletics to unprecedented heights.

‎Tharanga’s Rome triumph has not only rewritten the record books but has also provided compelling evidence that world-class success can be achieved through dedication, talent and high-quality coaching available within Sri Lanka. His achievement is expected to inspire a new generation of athletes to dream bigger and challenge the world’s elite on the global stage. (RF)