Sports

Angelo and Nirushika clinch best boxer titles at Novices Tournament

Published

2 years ago

2024/05/18

Title winners posing with officials.

S.P.P. Angelo of St. Sylvester’s BC and Nirushika Jayathissa of Up Hill BC were adjudged the Best Boxers of the Novices Boxing Tournament held at the Royal MAS Arena in Colombo. The tournament, organised by the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), featured a record number of 186 boxers from 27 clubs.

Rohan de Silva, Group Director of McLarens Group of Companies and President of Sri Lanka Badminton, was the chief guest on the final day, presenting the special awards alongside BASL President Dian Gomes. The five-day event showcased a high standard of boxing with intense, fast-paced matches, setting a competitive tone for the new season.

Angelo and Nirushika Jayathissa, both 19, were recognised for their exceptional technique and ring craft, earning the Best Boxer titles in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively. Angelo, a two-time Stubbs Shield silver medallist, demonstrated remarkable skill, winning all his bouts with ease. His performance in the featherweight (under 57kg) final was particularly notable, where he knocked out Chandrapala from Air Force with a perfectly timed right hook in the final round.

Nirushika, representing Uphill BC and a gold medallist at the Youth Championships 2023, impressed the judges despite having only one year of boxing experience. She outpointed seasoned soldier Virajini in the featherweight (under 57kg) category, winning by unanimous decision.

For the first time in Sri Lankan boxing history, cash awards were given to men and women Best Boxers of the event.

The tournament also recognised other notable performances. Army’s Adhikari was awarded the Best Loser’s award after a close 3:2 decision loss in the welterweight (under 67kg) bout against MM Paris of St. Sylvester’s BC. In the women’s category, 19-year-old Sanduni Imesha of Air Force, a product of Naradeniya CC, Kamburupitiya, and a gold medallist at the Youth Girls meet, was named Best Loser for her valiant effort in the light flyweight (under 50kg) final against Devindi from Hanwella Rajasinghe BC.

In terms of team achievements, Army Archers men’s and Army women’s teams topped the medals tally with four golds each. St. Sylvester’s BC secured three gold medals, while Army Red, Army Blue, and other Army teams collectively won ten golds in the 13-weight men’s competition. The Air Force women’s team also performed strongly, finishing second overall with three gold medals.

Final results

MEN

Minimum Weight (46-48kg):PKU Silva (SL Army Archers) beat AAN de Silva (West Coast BC) WP 5:0

Fly Weight (48-51kg):DDM Sampath (SL Army Archers) beat SPWGC Rathnasiri (SL Navy Bismark) WP 5:0

Bantam Weight (51-54kg):SPBR Premalal (SL Army Blue) beat KWSMA Dasunpriya (SL Army Archers) WP 3:2

Feather Weight (54-57kg):SPP Angelo (St Sylvester’s BC) beat BMM Chandrapala (SL Air Force) KO R3

Light Weight (57-60kg):RM Pushpakumara (SL Army Archers) beat HMGCN Dissanayake (SL Army Red) WP 3:2

Light Welter Weight (60-63.5kg):TDD Upawansha (SL Army) beat AGVH Jayasinghe (St Sylvester’s BC) WP 4:1

Welter Weight (63.5-67kg):MM Paris (St Sylvester’s BC) beat AADD Adhikari (SL Army Red) WP 3:2

Light Middle Weight (67-71kg):AACS Kumara (SL Army Archers) beat V Ratheesh (Hanwella Rajasinghe BC) RSC R1

Middle Weight (71-75kg):YM Usaith (St Sylvester’s BC) beat LGM Bandara (SL Navy Bismark) RSC R1

Light Heavy Weight (75-80kg):HMMM Herath (SL Army) beat PA Samarasinghe (SL Navy Bismark) RSC R1

Cruiser Weight (80-86kg):MDK Silva (Back2Fit) beat JMIPP Kumara (SL Army Red) WP 4:1

Heavy Weight (86-92kg):WPSK Ranasinghe (SL Army Red) beat R Deshmikanth (Omega Line) RSC R1

Super Heavy Weight (92+kg):HMCT Weerakoon (SL Army Blue) beat KG Pitampe (Hanwella Rajasinghe BC) RSC-I R1

WOMEN

Minimum Weight (45-48Wkg):AGHD Premasiri (SL Air Force) beat EMSC Chandrasiri (Jayawardenapura University) RSC R1

Light Fly Weight (48-50kg):MDK Devindi (Hanwella Rajasinghe BC) beat NWAS Imesha (SL Air Force) WP 5:0

Fly Weight (50-52kg):DMKT Dissanayaka (SL Air Force) beat WAW Nawodya (Sivali BC) RSC R1

Bantam Weight (52-54kg):EMKH Ekanayaka (SL Air Force) beat KAHS Dilshani (SL Army) RSC R1

Feather Weight (54-57kg):RDNP Jayathissa (Uphill) beat PHI Virajani (SLA) WP 5:0

Light Weight (57-60kg):S Rajkumar (BA) beat SIR Pathiraja (Hemamali BC) WP 5:0

Light Welter Weight (60-63kg):JDN Rathnasiri (Back2Fit) beat LDS Silva (SL Army) ABD R1

Welter Weight (63-66kg):PADR Sanjana (SL Navy) beat LDD Vimarshana (SL Army Red) WP 5:0

Light Middle Weight (66-70kg):JMR Rasanjali (SL Army) beat UGNH Jayathissa (University Peradeniya) RSC R1

Middle Weight (70-75kg):NMMS Narasinghe (SL Army) beat EMI Bandara (Veyangoda BC) RSC R2

Heavy Weight (81+kg):HADP Wathsala (SL Army) beat MADDS Kulasinghe (SL Army Blue) RSC R1

(ABD- Abandon, KO Knockout, Rn- Round number, RSC- Referee Stops Contest, RSC-I – Referee Stops Contest – Injury, WP- Win on points.)

All News Advertisement

Related Topics:Boxing Tournament Featured S.P.P. Angelo

Up Next

Herculean task for Sri Lanka at Asian Relays

Don't Miss

Pooran blitz enables Lucknow Super Giants to finish on a high note

Click to comment

Latest News

Sooryavanshi 175 makes India six-time Under-19 world champions

Published

7 hours ago

2026/02/6

Priyan

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi celebrates his century (Cricinfo)

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gave the latest demonstration of his prodigious talent with a record breaking innings in Harare as India completed a dominant run at the Under-19 World Cup, swatting aside England’s challenge, to lift the trophy for the sixth time.

Sooryavanshi, the 14-year-old opener, showcased his full range of scoring in an audacious knock of 175 off just 80 balls to almost single-handedly extinguish England’s hopes after India had opted to bat. When he was third out, India were 251 for 3 in the 26th over and hypothetically on track to score 500. No one could keep up with Sooryavanshi’s rate, but cameos down the order from Abhigyan Kundu and Kanishk Chouhan did take India past 400 for the first time in a Youth ODI between Full Member nations.

For England, Caleb Falconer struck a scintillating 63-ball hundred in response, but there was too much left to do and he was last out as India regained the Under-19 title, having lost the final to Australia two years ago.

Although England struck early, Aaron George caught at point off Alex Green, the game quickly ran away from them. Sooryavanshi put on 142 in 15 overs alongside India’s captain, Ayush Mhatre, and then 78 out of 89 for the third wicket alongside Vedant Trivedi as the innings went into overdrive.

Having cruised to fifty from 32 balls, he took just 23 more to bring up his first century of the tournament, then another 16 to progress past 150. Sixes rained down around the ground, as England’s spinners, Farhan Ahmed and Ralphie Albert, were treated with disdain – although arguably no shot was more outrageous than the forehand smash off a Green bouncer than somehow went straight back over the bowler’s head into the sightscreen.

He fell completely against the run of play, gloving behind when aiming a slog-sweep at Manny Lumsden, and India’s innings stuttered – at least relative to what had gone before. James Minto bagged three-for as England strove to keep the score below 400, a mark that was breached in the final over.

Mayes struck seven fours and two sixes but fell the ball after retaking top spot from Sooryavanshi on the tournament run-scorers’ list. Thomas Rew, England’s captain, blazed out of the blocks with 31 off 18 and Dawkins notched a 49-ball fifty – but the latter’s dismissal sparked a collapse of 4 for 3 in nine balls as India’s grip tightened.

England were well up with the rate, despite wickets falling, and were given hope by a stand of 92 between Falconer and James Minto. Falconer found the boundary regularly on the way to his maiden hundred, but the requirement had ballooned above 10 an over and England were still 100 runs short when he was finally dismissed.

Brief scores:

India Under 19s 411 for 9 in 50 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 175, Ayush Mhatre 53, Abhigyan Kundu 40; Sebastian Morgan 2-74, Alex Green 2-49, Ja,es Minto 3-63) beat England Under 19s 311 in 40.2 overs (Caleb Falconer 115, Ben Dawkins 65, Ben Mayes 45; RS Ambrish 3-56, Deepesh Devendran 2-64, Khan8shk Chouhan 2-63) by 100 runs

(Cricinfo)

Latest News

Mighty India meet multicultural USA in polarised World Cup

Published

11 hours ago

2026/02/6

Priyan

Mumbai will have plenty of local boys to root for, from both sides [Cricinfo]

The USA national team has only four players born in the USA, all of them children of immigrants. The other 11 are first-generation immigrants.

Three of those 11 were born in Pakistan. Their captain Monank Patel, and four others, were born in India. Monank recently told PTI there is “no Indian or Pakistani when you represent the USA.”

This team of Indian, Pakistani, South African and Sri Lankan immigrants will get under the star-sprangled banner and start, against India, their campaign in this T20 World Cup, during whose build-up the world has seemed to grow increasingly polarised.

Make of it what you will. Be relieved that cricket still has room for these niceties, or be despondent that this small win is worth celebrating.

Amid all the politicking, what has probably not been celebrated enough is the T20 excellence India have put together. Over nine editions, the T20 world title has neither been defended successfully nor been won at home. On Saturday, in front of a packed Wankhede Stadium where they won the 2011 ODI title, India will begin their campaign promising that both can be achieved in a month’s time.

Fourteen years ago, Ian Chappell wrote that left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh, born in Mumbai and an Under-19 World Cup winner for India, was ready for international cricket. Watching Harmeet, Chappell was put in the mind of Bishan Singh Bedi. Here he is, an international cricketer via a circuitous route, back in his place of birth to take on the team representing his country of birth.

Six months ago, Ishan Kishan was not even on the World Cup radar. Then Shubman Gill got injured and fell short of runs on his T20I comeback. Kishan blasted all comers during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. So he entered the World Cup squad as the back-up wicketkeeper-batter. Then Sanju Samson fell short of runs. Now, if India’s World Cup warm-up fixture was anything to go by, Kishan is the No. 1 choice to partner Abhishek Sharma at the top. And if he can get off to a good start, he is likely to keep his place for the business end of the tournament.

Washington Sundar, still recovering from a side strain, was not with the squad during their warm-up match against South Africa, but India are going to keep him in their squad. As it is, he is a back-up for Axar Patel, who is the first-choice spin allrounder. Harshit Rana was seen in some discomfort during the warm-up fixture and walked off after bowling just one over. The prognosis for Rana’s participation in this tournament ” doesn’t look good”, India captain Suryakumar Yadav has said, and it is particularly a cause for concern since he is the only genuine fast bowler in the squad who can contribute a few sixes down the order. Tilak Varma has made a successful return to fitness.

India (probable): Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy.

Andries Gous, who missed USA’s last T20I, the final of the North America T20 Cup last April, should come back as wicketkeeper and opener. Others could drop down a slot each to make up for the absence of the suspended Aaron Jones.

USA (probable): Saiteja Mukkamalla, Andries Gous (wk), Shayan Jahangir, Monank Patel (capt.), Milind Kumar, Harmeet Singh, Shubham Ranjane, Mohammad Mohsin, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan

[Cricinfo]

Latest News

The SSC finally steps out of the sunshine and into the floodlights

Published

14 hours ago

2026/02/6

Priyan

Floodlights on at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo (Cricinfo)

For over a century, the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) has been the quiet, dignified heartbeat of Sri Lankan cricket. To walk through its gates is to walk through a gallery of greats, and ghosts. This is where Muthiah Muralidaran turned the ball as if by magic, claiming 166 of his 800 Test wickets – a world record for a single venue to date. It is where Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara built their 624 run monument to patience, and where Chaminda Vaas’ 8 for 19 left Zimbabwe in ruins.

But for all the prestige the SSC had as the ‘Lord’s of Sri Lanka,’ the modern game had begun to grow beyond its reach. For years, the ground was a sanctuary for the traditionalist, a place of white kits and long afternoon shadows. One that has fed more players and captains to the national team than any other. But while the world embraced the floodlit frenzy of T20 cricket, the SSC remained a daytime relic.

The last limited-overs international hosted there was a women’s T20I in 2023, while the last men’s white-ball game was an ODI in 2020. Its T20I history, meanwhile, frozen in time, preserved in the memory of Associate clashes between Canada, Ireland, and Afghanistan in the afternoon heat of 2010.

This Saturday, while the sun will still be high over Colombo, the 16-year drought finally ends. As the rumble of the T20 World Cup curtain-raiser between Pakistan and the Netherlands echoes across the ground, six towering sentinels will stand watch over the turf – an LKR. 1.8 billion crown of LED floodlights waiting to signal the club’s belated arrival to the present. The journey to this moment, though, has been long.

“My God, for the last two decades,” exclaimed SSC cricket committee chairman Samantha Dodanwela, his voice carrying the relief of a man who has finally crossed the finish line.

Since 2009, the dream of floodlights was mired in the complexities of a private members’ club – disputes, corporate hesitancy, and protective instincts of a historic membership. It took the backing of Sri Lanka Cricket and the skills of a legal firm to ensure that this modernisation wouldn’t cost the club its soul or autonomy.

The result is a venue that feels both intimate and international. With a capacity of 12,000, it is a ’boutique’ World Cup experience, though a plan for a 6000-seater three-tier stand is already moving from the boardroom to the western hill.

“This venue is in the heart of the city,” Dodanwela noted, eyeing the urban sprawl of Colombo that surrounds the club. “You will see members patronising the club in the evenings; the crowd will always be there.”For Dodanwela, who joined the club in 1990 and took stewardship of its Cricket Committee in 2011 – albeit with a short gap when Jayawardene took over briefly from 2020-22 – the lights are a guarantee of relevance. While the heritage of the SSC is built on the craft of Test cricket, he knows the future is T20.

“The SSC pitch is the best in Sri Lanka. If you are a good bowler, there is life early on. But if you survive? There are loads of runs. And in T20, what we need is runs.”

As the Oman vs Zimbabwe clash kicks off at 3pm on February 9, and Pakistan vs USA plays out fully under lights the following night, the transition will be complete.

The membership may look back fondly on a past defined by Test cricket, but the SSC’s future is set to begin with the glow of flood-lit mayhem in the heart of Colombo.

(Cricinfo)