Nethmina and Rashmika were the bests in the Sri Lankan Youth National Championships
The Sri Lankan Youth National Championships was the next activity in the South Asian country where more boxers attended than in the last edition. The Sri Lankan Youth National Championships saw 18 new champions and among them J.K.N. Tharinda Nethmina and J.K.D.T. Rashmika were the bests in the event.
The 2001-2002 born boxers were able to attend in the youth part of the event and the athletes could fight in nine women and nine men weight classes. Many of their previous youth national champions involved to their next level and the best one 19-year-old K.V. Lasindu Eranda is now member of the elite national team.
The ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on November. Three of the Sri Lankans are registered to attend in the event but one of their hoped infected by Dengue fever. The management of Sri Lanka Boxing has got long term plans and they are focusing to the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games where their medal chances are high.
Sri Lanka had several national events this year for all of the age groups from the schoolboys up to the elite level for both genders including their classics as the Layton Cup, Clifford Cup, Jayaweera Boxing Meeting, T.B. Jayah Boxing Meeting and the Stubbs Shields Boxing Championships.
The Sri Lankan girls are competitive especially in the smaller weight classes and their first three winners have got the potential for the future. Nine boxers attended at the women’s light flyweight (48kg) which was won by A.G.H.D. Premasiri who stopped three out of her four opponents in the national event.
S. Sudarnila had a tough final at the women’s flyweight (51kg) which delivered the narrowest fight but her great finish delivered for her a title against N.AT. Sandunika. B.U. Sewwandi is another strong future hope in Sri Lanka who spent only a short time in the ring in her final at the bantamweight (54kg). T. Jathursika (57kg), G.H.S.P. Jayarathna (60kg) and M. Menuga (64kg) also dominated their finals in the national event.
The first male title of the Sri Lankan Youth National Championships was achieved by R.G.T.W.K. Rajapaksha who had to beat four rivals including G.D.I.S. Hansaja in the final of the light flyweight (49kg). In the second male final of the national event 18-year-old J.K.N. Tharinda Nethmina proved his technician skills and defeated Harendra Priyanath in the bout of the male title contests.
J.K.D.T. Rashmika knocked out his first rival in the national event and following his dangerous moments at the quarter-finals, he managed to win the final of the bantamweight (56kg) against L.R.G.G. Pahasara. D.D. Jayasingha had a tight final at the lightweight (60kg) while D.V.K. Thenabadu (69kg) and K.G.B.S.B. Kapukotuwa (81kg) dominated their title contests in the Youth Nationals.
List of the winners in the Sri Lankan Youth National Championships
Women’s 48kg: A.G.H.D. Premasiri
Women’s 51kg: S. Sudarnila
Women’s 54kg: B.U. Sewwandi
Women’s 57kg: T. Jathursika
Women’s 60kg: G.H.S.P. Jayarathna
Women’s 64kg: M. Menuga
Women’s 69kg: W.M.S. Gihani Sewwandi
Women’s 75kg: D.G.A.M. Jayasundara
Women’s +81kg: N.P.R. Kolambage
Men’s 49kg: R.G.T.W.K. Rajapaksha
Men’s 52kg: J.K.N. Tharinda Nethmina
Men’s 56kg: J.K.D.T. Rashmika
Men’s 60kg: D.D. Jayasingha
Men’s 64kg: R.A.H.L.S. Somasiri
Men’s 69kg: D.V.K. Thenabadu
Men’s 81kg: K.G.B.S.B. Kapukotuwa
Men’s 91kg: V. Shanujan
Men’s +91kg: Rahul Danaraj
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