Boxer Anusha enters quarter-finals

Sri Lanka’s Anusha Kodituwakku put up a fine performance to reach the quarter-finals of the sixth women’s World boxing championships which is now in progress in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Kodituwakku had the better of her Chinese opponent Red Cancan on points 7-5 and set up a showdown with the reigning South East Asian Games winner Alice Kate Aparri of Philippines which is scheduled for Wednesday.

Earlier in the preliminary round Kodituwakku beat Ponce Jessica of USA on points 8-1.

Sri Lanka’s other competitor in this meet Nilmini Jayasinghe also had a good start while overcoming Smith Ceire from Ireland on points 14-1.

Jayasinghe will now meet the reigning World Champions Ren Cancan of China today in another preliminary round encounter. A total of 306 boxers from 75 different countries are now competing for the 6th AIBA Women’s World Championships.

The number of participants has increased by more than 50 per cent compared with the 2008 edition, which was held in Ningbo, China, even though the number of weight categories has since been reduced from 13 to 10. (C.D)