MAS Holdings to promote boxing in Kandy schools

S M Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Correspondent

MAS Holdings - a name synonymous with boxing has taken steps to promote and develop boxing especially among the lesser known schools in the Kandy area in a very big way.

As an initial step this firm sponsored the 84th Clifford Cup Boxing Championship organized by the Amateur Boxing Association which was taken out of Colombo for the fourth time in its 84 year old history and held in the outskirts of Kandy at Pallekele where it had constructed a state-of-the-art boxing ring at the Linea Clothing premises. In fact this premises was owned by another firm and this was purchased with the specific purpose of having a permanent boxing ring and a well-equipped gymnasium.

The Linea Gymnasium was completed in August this year. As an initial step this company conducted a coaching camp for the Indian Youth Women boxers with the participation of Sri Lankan Women Boxers teams. This was a major success.

The Linea Gymnasium is located in close proximity to the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and has two boxing rings with large dressing rooms at opposite ends for men and women. More equipment including tread mills will be added on in due course and other weight training equipment too will be added on.

This spacious premises is located within the Board of Investments Zone at Pallekele and it has one of the finest scenic beauty hemmed by the Hewaheta and Hanguranketha mountain range on one side and the famed Knuckles Range on the other and a cool breeze wafts most of the time, and living with nature plays an important role for the users of the Linea Gymnasium. This Gymnasium will be used by the boxers of the MAS Holdings for their training sessions and also school boxers from Kandy.

It is understood that this firm has already sent out its training staff to Sri Sumangala College, Sri Rahula College and Nugawela Central College to improve the standard of boxing in these schools. More schools in the Kandy area will benefit from this magnanimous gesture.

The General Manager of MAS Linea Clothing and Linea Intimates Divisions one time STF officer Rohan Daulagala said while providing lucrative employment to many talented sportsmen, boxing holds a special place at MAS Holdings and this sport is gaining popularity among the youths every day.

He added that their contribution towards the greater success of boxing is by ensuring potential boxers, especially in the Central Province area to utilise the Linea Gymnasia to the maximum as well as the ABA and other authorities in sports to harness the inborn talent of the youths in the cradle of boxing which is the hill capital.

He was all praise for Dion Gomes who has given a new dimension to boxing in Sri Lanka and what has been achieved in the sphere of boxing so far is a great tribute to the efforts of Dion Comes who is the Managing Director NAS Intimates and Group Director MAS Holdings.

It is not only the boxers who have been benefited by the generosity of MAS Holdings but also cricketers, ruggerites and sportsmen and sportswomen from other sports.

Sportsmen and sportswomen from the hill capital should greatly benefit from this state of the art Lines Gymnasium.