Slimline BC and Army take National Boxing titles

Chris DHAMBARAGE

Slimline BC and Sri Lanka Army BC clinched the men’s and women’s overall titles respectively at the 82nd National Boxing Championships concluded at the Sugathadasa indoor stadium in Colombo yesterday.

The meet was conducted by the Amateur Boxing Association of Sri Lanka and sponsored by Phoenix Industries Limited. Even then Slimline BC’s success was more significant as they edged out the defending champions Sri Lanka Army BC by a solitary point to win the E. S. Selladorai Cup.

Slimline BC collected a total of 32 points and their closest rivals Sri Lanka Army BC collected 31 points to emerge as the runners up. Unichela with nine points were placed third in the overall championship.

Slimline BC also carried away the Muttiah Xavier Roche Cup for being the most successful club of the year 2007.

Anurudda - most outstanding boxer

In addition their champion boxer Anurudda Ratnayake was picked as the most outstanding boxer of the year 2007 and carried away the Eddie Gray Memorial Cup.

Ratnayake in fact won fly weight under 51 kgs weight class event quite easily by overcoming C. P. Abeyratne of Slimline ‘B’ team on points.

However the best boxers award went to R. M. T. Daksitha of Unichella BC who beat K. N. Jayakody of Sri Lanka BC on points 27-7 with the referee deciding to stop the contest during round three. Daksitha carried away the Sir Henrey Manning Trophy.

L. S. Lakmal from Slimline BC was named as the best loser for his outstanding performance against T. M. C. Tennekoon of Sri Lanka Army BC in the light fly weight under 48 kgs weight class event. He won the Donald Munasinghe Trophy.

Army women boxers dominate

Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Army women boxers dominated the proceedings as they collected a total of 16 points to finish well ahead of their closet rivals Slimline BC which managed to collect just eight points. The winners were awarded the Mrs. Nieva Embuldeniya Challenge trophy.

MAS Southern were placed third in the overall championship with six points followed by Sintesi with five points. Sri Lanka Army BC also produced the best boxer in the women’s category where P. K. Sumudu took the honours for a splendid performance.

She overcame the more fancied S. M. N. Senanayake of Slimline BC on points 19-10 in the light welter weight under 63 kgs weight class event. R. D. Jayamali of Sri Lanka Police BC was named as the best loser in the women’s category for a spirited effort.

She went down fighting to T. M. S. Tennekoon of Sri Lanka Army BC on points 15-21 in the light bantam weight under 52 kgs weight class event final.

The Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Industries Limited Hasith Premathillake was the chief guest and distributed the awards along with Dian Gomes President of the Amateur Boxing Association of Sri Lanka.