Sports
Angelo and Nirushika clinch best boxer titles at Novices Tournament

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.)
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Asalanka’s ton and Theekshana’s four, down Australia

A captain’s innings of 127 off 126 balls by Charith Aslanka and a four wicket haul by Maheesh Theekshana helped Sri Lanka to defeat Australia in the first ODI played at the Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 214 in 46 overs [Charith Aslanka 127, Dunith Wellalage 30, Kusal Mendis 19; Spencer Johnson 2-44, Aaron Hardie 2-13, Sean Abott 3-61, Nathan Ellis 2-23] beat Australia 165 in 33.5 overs [Alex Careyb 41, Aaron Hardie 32, Sean Abott 20; Asitha Fernando 2-23, Maheesh Theekshana 4-40, Dunith Wellalage 2-33] by 49 runs
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Sri Lanka elect to bat in first ODI

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Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka (c), Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando
Australia: Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cooper Connolly, Steve Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wk), Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson
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Shanaka in trouble with SLC after two matches in two countries in one day

Sri Lanka Cricket will conduct an inquiry over allegations that Dasun Shanaka left a first-class match in Colombo hours early, in order to play for the Dubai Capitals in the UAE that same evening on February 2.
The board’s chargesheet to Shanaka includes the allegation that first-class match referee Wendell Labrooy had been led to believe Shanaka had a concussion, in order to approve a substitute. This is according to SLC CEO Ashley de Silva, who told ESPNcricinfo “SSC [Shanaka’s first-class club] would probably be conducting their own inquiry as well”.
Shanaka, however, told ESPNcricinfo that de Silva and others had been aware that he would have to leave the first-class match early. According to Shanaka, he had left the ground soon after being dismissed on the third morning of the the three-day match. He said he visited a doctor at a nearby hospital first, to inspect a blow to the neck he had sustained while playing a sweep shot that morning, and then headed off to Dubai to play that evening’s T20, after a separate physiotherapist had cleared him to play.
“SLC and the club knew I had to leave,” Shanaka said. “I only came back because there was a request from the SSC to play this first-class match. But my other team wanted me back, as I’d helped win two games for them earlier in the tournament.”
For SLC, however, exiting a league game early, particularly with suspect reasons, is problematic, not that it has yet been established if there actually was any pretense involved. The board CEO de Silva explained that while Lasith Malinga had also famously played a Mumbai Indians match and then broken records in a domestic match in a match at Pallekele the next day, Malinga had played until both those matches reached their conclusion.
On the surface, though, Shanaka’s looks like a spectacular cricketing feat. He had been among the three players called back from the ILT20 by the SSC for their fixture against Moors Sports Club in the Major League Tournament, as SSC strove to avoid relegation. Shanaka had played the first two days of this three-dayer, bowling 21 overs and taking a wicket in Moors’ innings, before finishing on 39 not out at the end of day two.
Day three is when the absconding is alleged to have occurred, but before he left, Shanaka crashed a further 84, hitting 123 off 87 balls in total, 88 of those runs coming in boundaries. Though SSC’s innings ended not long after he got out, Shanaka did not bowl an over in the next Moors innings (the third of the match), and played no further part in the game.
What is clear is that several hours later, he appeared for the Capitals in Dubai, and struck 34 off 12 at No. 5, helping his team to 217 against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. He didn’t bowl in the Knight Riders’ innings either, however.
Capitals would go on to win the ILT20, Shanaka playing three further games for them. He has not appeared for SSC since February 2.
[Cricinfo]
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