Veterans shined and defended their titles in the Sri Lankan National Championships

The 91st edition of the Sri Lankan National Boxing Championships for the elite women and men boxers was held in Colombo which is the busy capital city of Sri Lanka. Their heroes in 2016 such as Kosala Nilmini, Kasthuri Arachchige Keshani Hansika, Gayan Sanjeeva Jayaweera, Dinidu Dushan Saparamadu and Ruwangala Gedara Sisira Kumarasinghe all claimed the gold medals in the national event.
Sri Lanka’s best boxers all attended in the National Boxing Championships which was also a selection event for the main international events in 2017. Sri Lanka’s top athletes are focusing to the 2017 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships and to the 2017 ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships.
Kosala Nilmini is Sri Lanka’s best female light flyweight (48kg) boxer who has to replace their former star Anusha Dilrukshi Kodituwakku in the national team. The 29-year-old boxer had enough experiences to beat Commonwealth Games competitor Kaluhath Erandi Gimhani De Silva in the semi-final and H.M.N.H. Weerasingha in the first final of the Sri Lankan National Boxing Championships.
Dulani Anuradha Jayasinghe competed in the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and has got experiences from several international events. The 31-year-old flyweight (51kg) boxer had to face in the final of the competition with H.S. Priyadarshani and she was able to beat her younger rival in the Royal MAS Arena.
Three Nations Women’s Meeting winner 26-year-old Muthuthanthri Sajeewani Cooray had enough international experiences to win her next national title at the bantamweight (54kg). She won the Layton Cup this year and had to do her very best to beat N. Pushpakumara in the gold medal bout.
Former national team member Borala Liyanage S. Sadareka of Hela returned to the world of boxing after a short break and the 32-year-old veteran proved she is still enough strong to win a national title in Sri Lanka. The featherweight (57kg) boxer had a successful tactic against Y.M.A.K. Abeyrathne in the final of the national event.
Sri Lanka’s best lightweight (60kg) boxer 25-year-old Kasthuri Arachchige Keshani Hansika competed in the recent editions of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships. She dominated all of her national events in 2016 therefore her final success over R.S. Dilini was not a surprise results in the Sri Lankan National Championships.
Army’s 37-year-old P.K. Sumudu won the third gold medal among the Olympic weight classes following her success over her main national rival A.M.P. Athapaththu. Dapana Durage Shiromala Weerarathna was bronze medallist in the 2012 ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships in Ulaanbaatar and following she moved up to the light heavyweight (81kg) she has been dominating the national events as well.
South Asian Games bronze medallist 24-year-old Thiwanka Sandaruwan Ranasinghe had a tough opponent in the final of the light flyweight (49kg) A.M.G.I. Bandara who is his main local rival in Sri Lanka. They met each other in the final of the Layton Cup as well and their repeat match delivered closer result but Ranasinghe’s triumph once again.
South Asian Games bronze medallist 25-year-old M.V.I.R. Seneviratne Bandara had to face with a top boxer ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships competitor and Layton Cup winner Muthukurage Malith Prabashwara in the final of the flyweight (52kg). Bandara tried to control their fight with his quick movements and launched a lethal punch in the third round which was enough to knock out his main rival.
World Military Championships bronze medallist Dilanka Suresh Pattiarachchi moved back to his original bantamweight (56kg) and defeated all of his rivals in the event. The 30-year-old boxer advanced to the final of the national championships and walked over to the gold against Layton Cup winner U.G.N.K. Amarawansa.
Naiduralage Gayan Sanjeeva Jayaweera won all of the national level events in Sri Lanka in 2016 and claimed medals also in the international tournaments in the recent years. The 25-year-old top lightweight (60kg) hope controlled all of the rounds against talented Bamunu Jeewantha Vimukthi Kumara and celebrated his next national title after the final bell.
Lion’s Cup winner and Commonwealth Games competitor Dinidu Dushan Saparamadu was the best boxer of the Layton Cup in 2016 and continued his winning path in the 91st edition of the Sri Lankan National Boxing Championships. The 24-year-old boxer proved amazing performance against I.P.D.C.U. Kumara and won his next national title at the light welterweight (64kg).
Sri Lanka’s No.1 Ruwangala Gedara Sisira Kumarasinghe was silver medallist in the 2010 South Asian Games and since then he competed in all of the important international boxing tournaments excluding the Olympic Games. The 31-year-old boxer had a tough opponent in the final of the welterweight (69kg) Commonwealth Games competitor Pathirage Don Maduranga and he could win their narrow bout only by split decision.
Doha International Tournament silver medallist Lahiru Tharanga B. Rathnadiwakara met in the final of the super heavyweight (+91kg) with his main local rival A.R.B. Thilakarathne in the Royal MAS Arena. The 23-year-old Rathnadiwakara, who was quarter-finalist in the Bangkok 2015 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships, won their tactical contest by split decision in their re-match in the final.

Winners in the Sri Lankan National Championships
Women’s 48kg: A. Kosala Nilmini
Women’s 51kg: Dulani Anuradha Jayasinghe
Women’s 54kg: Muthuthanthri Sajeewani Cooray
Women’s 57kg: Borala Liyanage S. Sadareka
Women’s 60kg: Kasthuri Arachchige Keshani Hansika
Women’s 64kg: L. Udyangani
Women’s 69kg: G.H.T.N. Dharmasena
Women’s 75kg: P.K. Sumudu
Women’s 81kg: Dapana Durage Shiromala Weerarathna
Women’s +81kg: A.A. Nilanthi
Men’s 49kg: P.M. Thiwanka Sandaruwan Ranasinghe
Men’s 52kg: M.V.I.R. Seneviratne Bandara
Men’s 56kg: Dilanka Suresh Pattiarachchi
Men’s 60kg: Naiduralage Gayan Sanjeeva Jayaweera
Men’s 64kg: P.V. Dinidu Dushan Saparamadu
Men’s 69kg: Ruwangala Gedara Sisira Kumarasinghe
Men’s 75kg: M.A.C. Sampath Kumara
Men’s 81kg: R.K. Gunarathna
Men’s 91kg: J.P.N.N. Jayaweera
Men’s +91kg: Lahiru Tharanga B. Rathnadiwakara