Sri Lanka’s school boxing stars have returned with three silver medals, an award for the most technical boxer and richer by the experience after participating in one of the biggest competitions in Europe for development squads held in Sweden.
The seven-member Sri Lanka team comprising Stubbs Shield winners in the Junior, Youth and Elite categories accompanied by as many officials, were among the 450 competitors from 12 countries who took part in the King of the Ring international boxing tournament held in Boras.
Hosts Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, England, Scotland, France, Portugal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Jordan and Ireland, were the participating countries.
Three-time Stubbs champion from Peradeniya MMV Nisal Rangana Bandana won the award for the Best Technical Boxer also featuring in the ‘Best Fight’ of the competition against Hamza Mahmoud of Hoddesdon.
The medal winners were Trinity’s Attaab Manzil, Vidyartha’s Isuru Hansaja and Hartley College, Jaffna’s Vikneswaran Sanujan. Sanujan fighting in the Youth 81kg weight was beaten by a strong Swedish boxer Mohammed Hannoun, Hansaja fought in the 52kg weight lost to a
hard-hitting Ireland boxer Ryan Dunne, while Attaab Manzil won the silver medal in the Junior 50kg weight category after losing to Abdullah Mhirat of Jordan in a closely contested fight, according to a press release from the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka.
Royalist Dewmina Hettiarachchi fighting in the Elite 60kg weight category was beaten by a Swedish boxer Mokhtar Ali whilst Kavisha Manatunga (Youth 56kg) was also beaten by a host nation boxer. Chethiya Ekanayake (Elite 56kg) lost a closely contested bout with Ricardo Fernandes of Portugal.
“Everyone at the venue appreciated the team from Sri Lanka. They had never seen boxers from there before and the boys were very nice. This tournament is one of the bigger ones in Europe, but there are only boys participating.
The Swedish federation has nothing to do with the tournament which is totally in the hands of a boxing club from Borås,” said Per Sonnerby, an accredited boxing referee who officiated in competitions held in Sri Lanka during his stint here in 1987-89.
“There were referees and judges from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, England, Ireland, Scotland and Iraq. Boxing took place in four rings,” said Sonnerby. BASL vice president Lt. Col. (retd) Hemantha Weerasinghe was a deputy supervisor/international technical officer during the competition.
“The boys did as well as they could, but met better opponents. They were welcomed here and they all behaved very well.
Sri Lankans are very welcome back at other tournaments, but then they could prepare the trips better,” said Sonnerby who was confused why seven officials had to accompany seven boxers for an expensive European tour.
“Sri Lanka didn’t participate in Diploma boxing which is unique in Sweden.
It is for those under 15 and a way of introducing new boxers to the sport without risking to be heavily hit,” he added urging the BASL to introduce it in Sri Lanka.
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