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| Friday, 20 February 2004 |
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Kiridena officiates at Olympic Qualifying Tournament Udeni Kiridena, officiated as a referee and judge at the recently concluded 22nd Asian Boxing Championships held in the Philippines. The Championship is also the first Olympic qualifying tournament for the Asian continent. Kiridena was among 32 international officials who officiated as a referee and judge and qualified within the top 12 selected to officiate at the finals. "It was a great experience and opportunity considering the high standard of boxing and officiating displayed there," said Kiridena who is a product of Donald Munasinghe the well-known figure in boxing officiating in Sri Lanka. Kiridena won several titles in boxing and was adjudged "Best Boxer" at the Stubbs Shield Boxing championships in 1982, in which year he also won the Trinity College," Boxing Lion" Award. Under his captaincy in 1983, Trinity College, Kandy emerged as Sri Lanka schools (Stubbs Shield) champions. Kiridena entered the international ring as a referee and judge in 2001 at the South Asian Junior Boxing Championships held in Kathmandu Nepal. He is presently Treasurer of the Boxing Referees and Judges Association of Sri Lanka. Kiridena is a Senior Manager, General Insurance attached to Union Assurance Limited, a company which encourages its employees to enhance their skills in the field of sports. Over 175 competitors from 28 counties participated in the Asian Championship for which organisers had to utilise two simultaneously due to the large number of entries. Kazakhstan was the champion team, with South Korea coming a close 1st runner up and Uzbekistan placed 2nd runner up. Best boxer of the meet was Nounian Karum of Pakistan who boxed scientifically, using every skill, to beat his opponent from China in the finals of the Light Fly weight category. Herbert Embuldeniya, President of the Boxing Referees and Judges Association of Sri Lanka, who was a former Exco member of the Amateur International Boxing Association was invited by the organising committee to officiate as a jury member at this meet, which is another prestigious honour for Sri Lanka. Thilak Sing Perera the Secretary of the Boxing Referees and Judges Association of Sri Lanka also judged some of the bouts at the championships. The Sri Lankan team consisted of the National Coach Mr. Frometta Matos (a Cuban national) and three boxers namely Harsha Kumara, Manjula Wanniarachi and Anuruddha Ratnayake. The three boxers are Sri Lanka National champions in the Light Fly, Fly and Bantum weight categories. Harsha Kumara boxed in the Light Fly weight category. In his first bout he completely out-boxed his opponent from Chinese Taipei, to win on a clear points decision. In the second bout he met the ultimate bronze medallist from Uzbekistan and lost on a close points decision. Manjula Wanniarachchi who brought a medal to Sri Lanka from the Goa Invitation Tournament held recently in India, was unfortunate to encounter the Fly weight Olympic champion Somit Jongjohor in his first bout; the Thai Olympic champion won the bout on a close points decision. Anuruddha Ratnayake boxed in the Bantum weight category and beat the Mongolian boxer in his first bout but lost in the second to the boxer from Thailand. |
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