School boxing descends to bull-fighting in ring
Koraburuwana National School girls and boys of Gandhara Boxing Club displaying their tropies
Aggression prevailed over the sweet science of boxing as Sri Lankan school boxers and coaches seem to have learnt the art of winning one-minute round bouts to almost perfection, even as the Schools Boxing Association (SBA) pledged to improve the quality of the sport to match up to international standards.
It was a case of quantity more than quality as the SBA conducted three meets concurrently at the Narandeniya Boxing Hall in Kamburupitiya attracting over 350 from 40 schools – School Boys and Girls Championship, Junior Boys and Girls, and Junior Nationals for Boys and Girls which was carried over from last year.
What was supposed to be an opportunity to scout future talent turned out to be a meaningless adventure, as the organisers squeezed in a heavy schedule of bouts during the five days of competition which produced more head-butting and rushing than real boxing. There were very few contests which would have delighted the connoisseurs of the sport where techniques and ringcraft such as hitting combinations, counter punching, body movements, the art of slipping or sidestepping or even general footwork were on display. Most boxers seemed unaware that using the upper cut is a simple counter to those charging head first like bulls in a China shop. It was interesting to watch non-stop toe-to-toe fighting, especially from young schoolgirls showing promise for the future but there was little else to crow about amid chaotic competition.
“How can we perform at international level when the focus is to win at any cost in local meets. In a one-minute round you have very little time to display technique. You hardly need endurance as well. How can you judge the real winner in one minute of boxing in a championship,” lamented former Vidyartha College, Kandy coach Lal Amunugama who produced Stubbs Shield champions for several years in the 90s decade.
“The standard of school boxing is low because there is more fighting than boxing. Boxers are trained to go hammer and tongs at their opponent to impress the judges. You need just power than technique to win contests at home. That is why these boxers fail to perform at international meets where they have to fight for two or three minutes a round,” said Amunugama, a former national level coach who was in charge of the Sri Lanka team which competed at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.
He also stressed on the need to have national pool training before a team takes part in international tournaments because they can benefit from the expertise of other coaches and by interacting with other boxers during sparring and training. “Here what happens is they see each other at the airport just before departure. This was the case with the national team which took part in the South Asian Games in Nepal,” said Amunugama.
School boys and girls created history last year when they took part in Asian Junior Championships held in Kuwait, UAE and a tournament in Sweden. They brought home some medals while some of them managed to win a bout but it was not a true reflection of their potential. Nevertheless, most of the youth internationals showed their class in Kamburupitiya.
Koraburuwana National School, Kamburupitiya coached by Akila Rajapaksha created history in the School Girls Championships when they emerged champions outdoing the boys who were boxing in the colours of Gandhara Boxing Club, by winning four gold and two silver medals.
“We started boxing only a year ago. We were determined and confident of vying for the championships. We have reaped the results of the hard work children put in training,” said the school’s principal Sisila Chandana Malawarachchi.
“We are a small school with 600 students and not a central school. We did well in karate in southern province. We do not have facilities but I am doing my best for the children,” said Malawarachchi lauding their sports coach Rajapaksha for his efforts.