Pushpakumari, Cooray and Prasanna are among the winners at the Sri Lankan Clifford Cup
The Clifford Cup is a traditional national competition in Sri Lanka where almost all of their best female and male boxers participated for the titles.
Sri Lanka had several economical and financial difficulties in the previous three years but their boxing management could host national competitions in 2023. The traditional event was held in eleven female and thirteen male weight categories in Sri Lanka’s capital city, in Colombo.
The President of Sri Lanka Boxing, the IBA Board of Director Mr. Dian Gomes presented the medals and the awards in the Clifford Cup. Sri Lanka’s most experienced ITO, Mr. Hemantha Weerasinghe also followed the bouts and made the most important organizational arrangements in this Clifford Cup.
The Sri Lankan women boxers earned some important medals in the Commonwealth Games, Asian U22 Boxing Championships and other competitions. Their new generation of female boxers are growing and many of them are now ready to compete in the international stage.
R.A. Nadeeja Pushpakumari is one of their national team members who controlled all of the three rounds against B.A. Nethmini at the women’s light flyweight (50kg) final. H.S. Priyadarshani (52kg) and L.I.N. Malshani (54kg) defeated experienced opponents and continued to win their national titles in Sri Lanka.
Muthuthanthri Sajeewani Cooray is one of their most experienced girls in Sri Lanka’s women boxing life and the 33-year-old boxer made a strong impact at the lightweight (60kg) in Colombo. She defeated L.R.S. Sasangi in the final of the competition and she has also strong chance to represent Sri Lanka in 2024.
The minimumweight (48kg) has strong traditions in Sri Lanka’s boxing life and their H.M.L.P. Jayawardana earned the title in the new edition after beating D.H. Thisararachchi in the final of the category.
R.M.P Dharmasena was National Champion in Sri Lanka and he repeated that performance at the men’s bantamweight (54kg) also at the Clifford Cup, stopping his final opponent, H.P.M. Handuwala for the title.
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 Clifford Cup. The Commonwealth Games competitor walked over to the gold medal of the featherweight (57kg) in the new edition of the Clifford Cup.
National Champions such as H.W.G.T. Rathnasiri (80kg), Y.S.P. Sudamma (86kg) and U.A. Awishka (+92kg) dominated the heaviest male weight categories in Colombo.
The list of the winners at the Sri Lankan Clifford Cup
Women’s 48kg: H.K.N.N. Perera Women’s 50kg: R.A.N. Pushpakumari Women’s 52kg: H.S. Priyadarshani Women’s 54kg: L.I.N. Malshani Women’s 57kg: K.T.I. Perera Women’s 60kg: M.P.S.S. Cooray Women’s 63kg: M.G.N.T. Dasunika Women’s 66kg: W.W.A.K. Thiwanka Women’s 70kg: Y.G.M. Amarathunga Women’s 75kg: K.A.G.N. Kaluarachchi Women’s 81kg: H.M.H.P. Jayakodi Men’s 48kg: H.M.L.P. Jayawardana Men’s 51kg: K.A.S.K. Abegunawardana Men’s 54kg: R.M.P. Dharmasena Men’s 57kg: P.A.R. Prasanna Men’s 60kg: R.M.P.K.K. Rashnayaka Men’s 63.5kg: P.S.P.S. Siriwardana Men’s 67kg: P.S.P.S. Fernando Men’s 71kg: I.P.C.D. Udayakumara Men’s 75kg: K.G. Pathmasiri Men’s 80kg: H.W.G.T. Rathnasiri Men’s 86kg: Y.S.P. Sudamma Men’s 92kg: K.M.C.K. Karunanayaka Men’s +92kg: U.A. Awishka
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