Dian departs with a plan for the future

Sports

By M. Shamil Amit

Dian Gomes

The resurgence of boxing in Sri Lanka in the recent past has no doubt been the efforts and tireless work done by Dian Gomes during his tenure as the Amateur Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (ABA) chief for the last five years.

Dian took the game to great heights having taken over the hot seat of the ABA in 2004. He steps down having created history of being the first ever ABA chief to hold the post for five years.

The outgoing ABA boss Gomes speaking to The Sunday Times said “I can be very proud of the achievements that the ABA has made. When I first took over we were nowhere on the international boxing map. When I took over the Presidency in 2004 my aim was to get a boxer qualified to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. We set about with a great team. I had Major General Jagath Jayasuriya as my deputy and we brought in people whom I presumed to be better than me.

“I backed this through a strong funding platform involving some of the corporate heavyweights in Sri Lanka who supported me in pursuing my vision. Though in the start we were unable to win any medals we made steady progress.

“In the beginning we were happy with winning a silver medal through Manju Wanniarachchi at the Kings Cup after 30 years along with Kamal Sameera and Harsha Kumara winning bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland. In addition one of the greatest joys was Anusha Kodituwakku becoming the first Sri Lankan woman boxer to win a gold medal at the Asian Championships in Hanoi, Vietnam.

“Looking back Anuruddha Ratnayake’s qualification to the Beijing Olympics and being the number five in the world at the World Championship was the greatest joy in the five years. The elimination of Anuruddha in the first round was a bitter pill to swallow but we could be proud that a boxer qualified to the Olympics after four decades.

“I also can proudly mention that none of the officials who were sent on foreign tours went on ABA’s expense. At ABA we have been able to come together for a unified vision and strategy because we have agreement in all the critical aspects for the development of boxing.

“I have served as the secretary cum board member of the strategic business commission of AIBA since September 2007. My presence in the world body played an instrumental role in gaining visibility for Sri Lanka on a global platform in boxing administration. It also helped our local ABA and my position with the AIBA has also enabled me to build ties with the boxing super powers in the world, engaging their support for the development of boxing in Sri Lanka.

“I have also been invited by the NOC President Hemasiri Fernando to continue being the Vice President of the NOC from which I was wanted to resign a few months back. In fact you don’t need to hold big positions to do good work as long as you to do any job honestly.

“We are aiming on a medal at the 2012 Olympics. The foundation for this has been laid by having sent two boxers on a four year training stint to Cuba and have also sent a boxer to Korea. We are looking at Manju Wanniarachchi to be sent to the United States to train with a prestigious boxing club and two other boxers to get overseas training. During my tenure we were able to secure the services of a Cuban coach which is even continued now. Minister of Sports Gamini Lokuge has given the green light to continue this which augurs well for Sri Lanka boxing.”

Speaking of doubts that boxing will be back to square in the next few years in the wake of him stepping. He said “my answer is a big no. I have created a team and I have no doubt that they are also driven with the same passion and the same vision that I had and have for boxing.
“From day one I have looked at bringing in youth into the ABA administration and have spent time grooming them to bigger responsibilities in the future. Today the ABA have a strong set of individuals who are not only young but also geared up with international exposure and experience and are battle hardened enough to carry the baton in my absence as the ABA work its way towards a medal in London 2012.
“I will continue to remain in the executive committee of the ABA to support them with the key aspect of obtaining financial support. I will continue to get the finance and sponsorship for the ABA as the chairman of the ABA sponsorship committee to get the required funding needed in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.” Dian said in conclusion

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