Sharm de Alwis no more
Former Wesley College and Trinity College boxer and well known freelance sports journalist Sharm de Alwis passed away recently in Colombo. Sharm who was born in Kandy was the Secretary of the Trinity College Old Boys Association for over three years.
He was in the Trinity boxing pool even though he was not able to represent the College and when in Wesley together with his mate Babu Ahamath they managed to coax boxing in to the sports curriculum.
His big break in boxing came when he captained the Shell Company in 1954 to 1956. He went on to win the cup in the Pin and Fly weight categories at the Mercantile Intermediate Boxing Meet in 1955. He also held the cup for the best boxer for three consecutive years, unbeaten.
His boxing career came to a standstill when he left for England where he studied Advertising, Market Research, Marketing and Public Relations at the London University for four years. Upon his return, he had many successful years in advertising and marketing at William Biscuits, J.W. Thomas, Grants, Senarathne and Don Carolis, in 1972 started his own company ‘Kangaroo Packing and Shipping’ which he steered with the help of his wife Loretta. He was a freelance writer on sports, travel and social comments.