Boxer Manju ends medal jinx

Chinthana WASALA reporting from New Delhi

With some outstanding punches being landed on Kenya’s Nicholas Okoth, Sri Lankan boxer Manju Wanniarachchi easily outplayed his opponent to reach the semi-finals of the 56 kg weight category of the boxing competitions of 19th Commonwealth Games here in New Delhi yesterday.

Wanniarachchi won 10-1 at the Tal Kotora Indoor Stadium in front of a huge support extended by the hundreds of Indians and a few Sri Lankans.

With this victory, Wanniarachchi has already secured the bronze medal and his next bout will decide weather he is going for the Gold.

Wanniarachchi had a stiff opposition from the 2008 Olympian Nicholas but with some hard punches and the Kenyan rarely had a chance to do the same. Lankan was in front from the beginning but at the latter part of the second round, a punch landed on his face, causing a cut above his left eye.

It was a critical moment that team manager Dian Gomesz said after the match that if the referee saw blood coming out, the match would have been stopped, offering the victory for the Kenyan.

“I have no words to say. I am so happy. I would bring a medal this time and I am confident that it would be a gold or silver,” Wanniarachchi said right after his bout.

“I have been looking for a gold medal in the Olympics, Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games for a quite some time and this time I feel that I am really on the track,” added Wanniarachchi.

Ending a 60 year lapse without a medal in the history of Commonwealth Games for Sri lanka, Manju Wanniarachchi put an end to the jinx.

Sri Lanka’s last medal in boxing in the Commonwealth Games history was in 1950 when Albert Perera won a silver at the Empire and Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. In that year, Sri Lanka won another silver when K Edwin won the fly weight category and there were two bronze medals too.

The only gold medal for Sri Lanka in the history of the games was in 1938 at the Sydney Empire and Commonwealth Games where Ansdale William Henricus won a gold medal in the Feather weight category.

Manju Wanniarachchi, the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games quarter-finalist, will face Botswana’s Tirafalo Seoko in today’s semi-final at the same venue.

Wanniarachchi beat Seoko 6-2 in the Commonwealth Games qualifiers in March this year and is confident of taking on his known opponent.

Ambepitiya injured

Shehan Ambepitiya did not run in yesterday’s second semi-final of the men’s 200 metres due to a leg injury. Shehan recorded his personal best of 21.17 seconds in the first round.

Shuttlers advance to the next stage

Yesterday morning, at the Siri Fort Sports Complex, Lankan men did well to advance to the next stages of their respective singles events.

Niluka Karunaratne who is one of the medal prospects, defeated Seychelles’ Kevin Herbert 21-9, 21-8 while his brother Dinuka Karunaratne beat Australia’s Nicholas Kidd 21-19, 21-14. Subodha Dahanayake lost to India’s Aditi Ajey 18-21, 14-21, 7-21. Chandrika de Silva also lost to Australia’s Chiya Chi Huang 21-14, 21-6. Thilini Jayasinghe who won her match against Kimberley Ashton of Jersey (21-10, 21-12) on Saturday evening, lost to England’s Lizz Cann who is among the top 30 shuttlers in the world. She lost by 21-13, 21-12.

In the women’s doubles, Thilini Jayasinghe and Subodha Dahanayake beat the duo from Isle of Man 21/19, 21/8.

Two paddlers enter main draw

Two Lankan paddlers entered the main draw yesterday. Rohan Sirisena beat the paddler from Barbados 4-1 while Dinesh Deshapriya beat the player from Seyschells 4-1 and both will play in the main draw today.

On Saturday night, Nadeeka Lakmali was placed seventh in the women’s javelin throw finals but she recorded her seasonal best with a clearance of 53.36 metres. South African Stella Sunnett Viljoen won the gold medal of that event with a new Commonwealth Games record of 62.34 metres.

Allan Davis wins while Lankans fail

Cyclist Lasanthi Gunatilleke did not finish her event, the women’s 112 kilometre road race. Lankan men’s cyclists Dane Nugera, Ishan Sanda Kelum and Janaka Kumara failed to finish the 168 kilometre road race. Although Laxman Wijeratne finished last among 52 cyclists with a time of 4 hrs 6.14 mins, 16.26 minutes behind the winner of the event. Allan Davis, the former Tour Down Under champion, the member of Team Astana won the gold medal in the race which world famous cyclists Mark Cavendish (IOM) and David Millar (SCO) also took part.