Malcolm Bulner was a glittering star in the boxing ring

 

Malcolm Bulner, who started his boxing career from St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy and moved up the ladder to the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 was a glittering star in the boxing ring.

Born in 1944, he entered the boxing ring in 1950 and remained an unbeaten star in the boxing ring by 1960.

Bulner, who was coached by the National Boxing Coach Derrick Raymond, took pleasure in fighting opponents who were older than himself.

In the National Boxing Championships held in 1962 and 1963 he won the lightweight and the welterweight classes and the trophy awarded to the Best Boxer. In these events he twice defeated Sumith Liyanage who had participated at the Olympic boxing events in Rome in 1960.

Bulner who was a terror in the National boxing ring with his right hand punches was never really challenged as a boxer. Bulner participated in the Commonwealth Games held in Perth, Australia in 1962 and was up against Adrian Blayer the internationally reputed Australian Boxer who had participated in 140 International Meets.

Bulner faced him courageously in the first two rounds but in the third round he received a strong blow from his contender and was defeated.

In 1963, he participated in the Asian Boxing Championship Meet and was defeated by the Gold Medallist Thai Boxer of the same class. The Ceylon Boxing Federation selected Bulner as the number one participant for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.

He became the first ever schoolboy to participate in Olympic Games. At the Tokyo Olympics, Bulner faced the Gold Medallist Yugoslav Boxer B. Nemsec and was defeated by points.

This dynamic boxer who had gathered experience having participated in several international contests was entrusted with the captaincy of the Sri Lanka Boxing Team for the Indo-Ceylon Schools Boxing events during the years 1964 and 1965.

After leaving school he was associated with the Plantation Sector during which period he represented the Kandy and Dimbulla Rugby Clubs at National Championships.

Bulner, left Sri Lanka on February 21, 1966 to settle down in Australia and he received training under the most competent Trainer Johnny Cooper and won 26 Amateur boxing meets.

He even defeated the reigning Australian National Boxing Champion to win the National trophies in that country.

At the contests held for the selection of Australian boxers to be sent to the Olympics in Mexico in 1968, he defeated his closest rival Des Hogart in the first-round.

Des was a Gold Medallist at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia and also in the boxing meets held in the Pacific Region and New Zealand.

Although Bulner was selected for the Olympic Games, he was not permitted by the International Boxing Federation to enter the contests.

He was disqualified on the premise that he had represented Sri Lanka in 1964 and had not completed three years as a citizen of Australia.

Later, he became a professional boxer and during the period from 1968 to 1973 he participated in 13 professional contests and won 11 out of those events. (C.D)