The South Asian Games winner Sandakelum wins gold medal at the 47th Sri Lankan National Sports Festival
The 47th Sri Lankan National Sports Festival was held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo where their international level boxers all won the gold medals. The South Asian Games winner Wanni Arachchige Rumesh Sandakelum returned to the competitions and he won the men’s light heavyweight (80kg) in Colombo.
Altogether 262 events took place in various sports in the National Sports Festival this year and boxing was one of the highlights in Colombo. The Sri Lankans sent their boxers to the previous editions of the World Boxing Championships and ASBC Asian U22 Boxing Championships as well.
A new Sri Lankan female prospect, K.K.I.T. Perera won the tough women’s featherweight (57kg) in the National Sports Festival following her tight success over a young hope, L.I.N. Malshani in the final.
Muthuthanthri Sajeewani Cooray is already 33-year-old but she is in her career’s best form this year and she impressed in the National Sports Festival as well. She dominated her contests and defeated M.G.M.T. Dasunika for the title of the women’s lightweight (60kg).
Podi Arachchige Rukmal Prasanna competed for Sri Lanka already at the 2017 ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships and the 24-year-old boxer was one of the best male boxers in the entire National Sports Festival.
Ruwan Thilina Weerakkodi is a veteran boxer who earned gold and silver medals in many of the Sri Lankan national events in the previous 10 years. The lightweight (60kg) boxer knocked out his final rival, L.R.G.G. Pasara and he earned his next national title.
Wanni Arachchige Rumesh Sandakelum was gold medallist at the 2019 South Asian Games and he represented Sri Lanka at the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Amman as well. Sandakelum was not enough in shape during the previous three years but he decided to return in the national level of boxing. Sandakelum won all of his three contests in the National Sports Festival and he had a golden comeback to the boxing events.
The Sri Lankans’ next event will be the Asian Games, the first Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in the continent.
The list of the winners at the 2023 Sri Lankan National Games
Women’s 57kg: K.K.I.T. Perera
Women’s 60kg: Muthuthanthri Sajeewani Cooray
Women’s 69kg: W.W.A.K. Thiwanka
Women’s 75kg: K.A.G.N. Kaluarachchi
Men’s 48kg: A.H. Maduranga
Men’s 51kg: A.M.G.I. Bandara
Men’s 57kg: Podi Arachchige Rukmal Prasanna
Men’s 60kg: Ruwan Thilina Weerakkodi
Men’s 63.5kg: W.C.I.A. Perera
Men’s 67kg: I.P.D.C. Udayakumara
Men’s 71kg: A.M.T.S. Adikri
Men’s 80kg: Wanni Arachchige Rumesh Sandakelum
Men’s 92kg: P.A.R.S. Roopasinha
Men’s +92kg: M.W.M.M. Meegasthanna
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