Boxing: Army clinches national boxing title for 35th time

Army pugilists retained the National Boxing title when they emerged men’s champion while MAS Unichela Panadura a cluster of MAS Holdings too retained the women’s title at the 90th ABA Men’s Women’s Boxing Championship concluded at the Royal MAS boxing Arena. 

This is the 35th occasion that the Soldiers have won this title since it was inaugurated way back in 1926. 

Prior to this Army won the national for 12 consecutive years from 1989 to 2000 which is going to be tough for any team to equal. 

The Army boxing team during their campaign won four gold and three silver medals while in second place was their closest rival MAS Slimline Panadura won three gold and two silver medals while Navy in the third slot with a goal, silver and two bronze medals. 

The battle for the title was between MAS Slimline and Army and the men’s flyweight 52kg bout involving two boxers M.M. Prabashwara (MAS Slimline) and M.V.I.R.S. Bandara (Army) from the two teams was going to be the decider. 

Before the bout began MAS Slimline was in the lead having won four gold medals to the three by Army. 

In a ding-dong battle Bandara prevailed and yet, by virtue of having won three silver medals Army were assured of the title. 

In the women’s category MAS Unichela secured four gold and three silver medals while the newest club to join the boxing arena Hela Clothing making their debut took the second slot winning three gold medals pushing the more established Air Force to the third position. 

It was a memorable debut for Hela Clothing as they won four gold medals, three in the women’s and one in the men’s and a bronze medal having entered only six boxers for the championship. 

The gold medal winners were B.L.S. Sandareka (Featherweight 54-57kg), G.H.T.N. Dharmasena (Welterweight 69kg) and Nelum Nilanthi (Super Heavyweight Over 81kg) who was adjudged the most outstanding women boxer of 2016 and in the men’s P.M.T.S. Ranasinghe (Flyweight 46-49kg) 

Three pugilists from MAS Holdings N.G. S. Jayaweera and Dinidu Saparamadu both of MAS Slimline and K.A.K. Hansika of MAS Unichela bagged the individual awards that were on offer with Jayaweera taking the best boxer in the men’s, Saparamadu being adjudged the most outstanding men’s boxer of 2016 and Hansika the best boxer in the women’s category while P.D.D. Maduranga of Army and K.A.L.U. Kaushalya of Air Force were adjudged the best losers. 

Meanwhile MAS Slimline Pannala and MAS Unichela Panadura carried away Muttiah Xavier Memorial Challenge Trophy and the Dian Gomes Challenge Trophy for the most outstanding club for the year 2016. 

Results: 

Women’s: 

Light Flyweight 48kg – A.A.K. Nilmini (MAS Unichela) recd walk over from H.M.N. Weerasinghe (MAS Casualine). 

Flyweight 48-51kg – J.A.D. Jayasinghe (MAS Unichela) beat H.S. Priyadharshani (Army). 

Bantamweight 54kg – M.P.P.S. Cooray (Air Force) beat N. Pushpakumara (MAS Unichela ‘B’). 

Featherweight 54-57kg – B.L.S. Sandareka (Hela Clothing) beat Y.M.K. Abeyratne (Air Force). 

Lightweight 60kg – K.A.K. Hansika (MAS Unichela) beat R.S. Dilini (Air Force). 

Lightweight 60-64kg – L. Udayangi (MAS Unichela) beat K.A.L.U. Kaushalya (Air Force). 

Welterweight 69kg – G.H.T.N. Dharmasena (Hela Clothing) beat P.C.K. Jayasekera (MAS Unichela). 

Middleweight 69-75kg – P.K. Sumudu (Army) beat A.M.P. Atapattu (MAS Unichela). 

Heavyweight 81kg – D.D.S. Weeraratne (Police) beat G.D.M. Jayadeva (MAS Casualine). Super 

Heavyweight Over 81kg – Nelum Nilanthi (Hela Clothing) beat I.W.S. Chandrasekera (MAS Unichela). 

Men’s: 

Flyweight 46-49kg – P.M.T.S. Ranasinghe (Hela Clothing) beat A.M.G. Bandara (Navy). 

Flyweight 52kg – M.V.I.R.S. Bandara (Army) beat M.M. Prabashwara (MAS Slimline). 

Bantamweight 56kg – P.D. Suresh (MAS Slimline) beat N. Amarawansa (MAS Slimline ‘B’). 

Lightweight 60kg – N.G.S. Jayaweera (MAS Slimline) beat N.B.J. Vimukthi Kumara (Army). 

Light Welterweight 64kg – Dinidu Saparamadu (MAS Slimline) beat I.P.D. Kumara (Air Force). 

Welterweight 69kg – R.G.S. Kumarasinghe (Navy) beat P.D.D. Maduranga (Army). 

Middleweight 75kg – M.A.C.S. Kumara (Army) beat H.A.K. Kumara (Air Force). 

Light Heavyweight 81kg – R.K. Gunaratne (MAS Slimline BC) beat I.B.N. Bandara (Army). 

Heavyweight 91kg – J.P.N.N. Jayaweera (Army) beat K.G.A. Jayasena (SLAR ‘B’). 

Heavyweight Over 91kg –T.B. Ratnadivakara (MAS Slimline) beat A.R.B.E. Tillekeratne (Army).