Martial artist Kithsiri throws kicks for Sambo
View(s):An experienced personality in martial arts Kithsiri de Zoysa, has spearheaded introducing Sambo, a mixed contact sport, to Sri Lanka. De Zoysa, a veteran of over 30 years in judo has been a prominent figure in the local, Asian and international judo circle as a former player and a well experienced administrator. But lately he has been moving into other avenues of martial arts and Sambo was one of the styles to catch his eye.
Kithsiri de Zoysa
“With a bit of judo, wrestling, Japanese jiu jitsu, karate, taekwondo, wushu and French boxing, in it, Sambo promises to be the ideal sport for simply anyone. What is interesting here is if one learns a style and he is curious to know to learn about more styles, Sambo is the fitting answer. Sambo is a style of martial arts which includes many styles from around the world. I feel this is the best prospect for the Sri Lankans, at any age or any level, to help maintain their fitness through this sport,” de Zoysa said.
De Zoysa has been a leading figure in judo and he remains one of the most senior practitioners of the sport in Sri Lanka. A former Open National Champion from 1972 to 1978, de Zoysa also won a gold medal at the South East Asian Judo Championship while helping women judokas break into the sport.
Later he became the President of Sri Lanka Judo Association four times, in 1978, 1979, 2008 and 2009, before helping launch other sports such as Sumo, and Sambo, a Russian combat sport. De Zoysa was also Chairman of the Colombo YMCA Judo Organisation and President of the Sri Lanka Sumo Federation. At present he serves as the head of the Sri Lanka Sambo Federation and the Jigoro Kano Judo Foundation.
“I have dedicated my entire life to judo. I’m happy that I’ve been able to contribute a lot to Sri Lanka through judo. At the same time I feel there’s more I can give away to my country by introducing new martial arts sports,” he added.
Sri Lanka was invited to take part in the 22nd Asian Sambo Championship held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan during June 5 and 10. Despite being a new sport for Sri Lankans, M. Weeraratne, Sri Lanka’s six-time national judo champion impressed in the 74kg weight class in the senior division. Weeraratne, also a former veteran of the Asian Judo Championship and a former national wrestling champion, reached the fourth level of his weight class which is a great achievement for a Sambo athlete taking part for the first time against athletes from 28 other experienced countries.
“Weeraratne’s performance has put Sri Lanka in the spotlight. With the feat, the Asian Sambo Federation is considering sending international instructors and sporting equipment to Sri Lanka. Our Sambo Federation was also invited for the annual Asian, Pan American and International joint conference on Sambo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia later this month. During a short period we have come a long way and we can only say that Sambo is here to stay in Sri Lanka. We expect to expand the sport by reaching out to schools, clubs and by inviting other martial arts associations to join us,” de Zoysa emphasized.
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