Thenuwan, Chathuni best boxers as St. Sylvester’s win fourth consecutive Stubbs Shield

St Sylvester’s College, Kandy with the Stubbs Shield.

Front row: BGD Piyathilaka, TMRL Thennakoon, TMCL Thennakoon, SGM Azhar, JMT Deshan, KGSK Heshan ,SPP Angelo.

Back row – PGCM Kumara, S. Nawarathne (St Sylvester’s Boxing Union), S. Sivaneshan (Master in Charge), TBJG Bandara (Head Coach), AGVH Jayasinghe, T. Pallekumbura (St Sylvester’s Boxing Union), M. Ilham (St Sylvester’s Boxing Union)

Thenuwan Bandara Meegalla of Royal College, Colombo and Chathuni Jagathya Siriwardena of Hemamali Girls College, Kandy clinched the best boxer titles in the boys’ and girls’ categories respectively as St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy clinched the team title for the fourth consecutive year in the 105th Stubbs Shield Inter-School Boxing Championship concluded at the Royal MAS Arena.

It was the 18th time the school from Kandy bagged the championship title as they won four golds and two silvers in the finals.

Royal College, Colombo claimed the runner-up position with three golds, three silvers, and a bronze. Thenuwan Bandara Meegalla, Royal’s captain and Taipei City Cup gold medalist, was awarded the prestigious Col. T.Y. Wright Challenge Cup for his technical prowess in the senior boys division.

In the Girls’ division, Siri Perakum Vidyalaya, Kotagala emerged champions winning three gold medals and one silver, while Sri Pragnarathne Central College, Gelioya earned runner-up position with three golds and three bronzes. Chathuni Jagathya Siriwardena of Hemamali Girls College, Kandy, received the Best Boxer award in the Senior Girls 48kg category displaying good ring craft and excellence to outpoint MKM Muthuni of Dharmaloka College, Pelmadulla.

Organized as part of the All Island National School Games by the Education Ministry and Schools Boxing Association, this year’s event saw nearly 500 boxers from 132 schools competing across 36 weight classes. With six finalists, two more than Royal, St. Sylvester’s were clear frontrunners from the outset.

Royal and St Sylvester’s began the finals on an inauspicious note when Ahsan Ahmedh (52kg) and TMRL Thennakoon (56kg) respectively suffered losses in the Youth Boys category to Nilusha Deshan Thathsara and Lokumanage Deshan Thathsara of Nalanda College, Colombo.

Mohamad Azhar (Youth Boy 69kg) won a tough duel against LDD Rashmika of Dombagoda Seelarathana MV by unanimous points decision to win the first gold medal for St Sylvester’s.

When the business end of the tournament began with the Senior Boys contests, St Sylvester’s suffered another setback when favourite and Novices Best Boxer SPP Angelo (52kg) was out of sorts against Ryan Nirmal Weerasekera of Trinity College, Kandy with his corner throwing in the towel in the third round. Weerasekera displayed superb technique and ring craft unleashing crisp combinations to dominate the contest.

St. Sylvester’s sealed their victory with Sadun Kavishka Heshan’s unanimous win (60kg), along with impressive performances by Deshan Jayasundara (64kg) and Vimarshana Heshan Jayasinghe (69kg), a 2023 youth international gold medalist.

Girls’ Best Boxer Chathuni Jagathya Siriwardena of Hemamali Girls College, Kandy (L) / Boys’ Best Boxer Thenuwan Bandara Meegalla of Royal College, Colombo. (R)

St. Sylvester’s remarkable showing underscores their reign in school boxing, firmly holding the Stubbs Shield for another year.

Royal’s heavyweights, Kandegedara Mudiyanselage Malith Bandara (75kg) and Sahan Perera (81kg), secured wins in their divisions, helping Royal secure the second spot.

The Girls’ division saw standout performances from Northern Province boxers Loganathan Kagenthiny of Poonthodam Vidyalam, Vavuniya, and Zithayakumar Kerthana of Gamini National School, Vavuniya, while GGNA Gimhani of Sri Pragnarathne Central College, Geli Oya scored an upset in the Youth Girls category, defeating Punsara Thiththagala of Hemamali Girls College.

In the Juniors Girls category, MDCS Mayadunne (50kg) of Prajapathi Girls College, Horana was at the receiving end of a contentious points decision against TDI Madushani of Siri Perakum Vidyalaya, Kotagala.

However, SMN Miloniya (46kg) and UB Sonali (48kg) were convincing winners for the school from Nuwara Eliya.