Boxing: Dian Gomes to head new team as Boxing Association President

Several new faces have been nominated as office-bearers of the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) which will be headed by Dian Gomes who will be re-elected uncontested for the next fours when the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of officials is held on August 20 at the BASL office, No. 59/17, Byrde Place, off Stratford Terrace, Colombo 06.

An executive committee member in the Asian Boxing Confederation as well as member of the women’s commission of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), Gomes will be serving a third term as head of the boxing association. He was first elected as BASL President in 2004 for four years before returning to the helm in 2017.

Nominations for election of office-bearers closed on July 10 and all key positions were uncontested.

In a significant move, former National champion and South Asian Games silver medallist SSP Saman Gunaratne and former National boxing coach Wasantha Kumara are the two new Vice Presidents of the BASL. Gunaratne was one of the finest products of St. Sylvester's College, Kandy. Wasantha Kumara is a renowned Olympic boxing coach turned entrepreneur.

 
BASL Vice President Lt Col (Rtd) Hemantha Weerasinghe will take over as Secretary of the BASL, a position he held from 2008 to 2010. A former national boxing champion, Weerasinghe is also an International Technical Officer as well as an executive member of the Asian Boxing Referees and Judges Association. He is also secretary of the Boxing Referees and Judges Association.

Aubrey Pieris, a former Stubbs Shield boxing champion and a banker by profession, will be the Treasurer. Abdulla Ibunu and Deepal Herath will be the Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer respectively.