Improved training methods necessary to raise standards

Pavilion View

by Leslie Fernando

Boxing: Sri Lanka's boxers in the year gone by are difficult to match. Boxing in the good old days commanded the respect of many Asian nations as the performances of the boxes spoke a lot about their capabilities.

This was the opinion expressed by K.N. Dharmadasa - a former President of the Amateur Boxing Association of Sri Lanka from 1989 to 1998.

Before holding the high office, Dharmadasa himself was a boxer from 1948 to 1963. He said that in the good old days, they never had foreign coaches. He boxed with opponents from India, Burma, Pakistan and Japan. He was from Anderson College, then went to Straight Left Boxing Club, to Singhe Amateur Boxing Club and he boxed for the country too.

Taking of boxing in general, Dharmadasa said that the local boxers must improve their training methods.

His first coach was the late P. Kanagasabapathy and he then went to the late D. S. A. Wickremasinghe. Two cardinal principles he learnt from his coaches were: "When you meet an opponent, first learn his course of action and plan your fight. It is not your right fist that is your trump card, it is the left hook which will set up the chance to deliver the knock-out punch."

Standard low

A well-known boxer of the past - DIG Jayakumar Thangavelu - former Thomian, Police and Indo-Ceylon boxing ace, said that the standard of boxing here in Sri Lanka has dropped to a low level.

The cause of this sorry State of affairs is the lack of commitment and dedication by the participants. He said that boxing is one sport that can make an impact internationally if it is properly organised and harnessed.

Thangavelu was the President of the Amateur Boxing Association of Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2004.

Thangavelu blamed the officials for drop in standards. He said that these days most of the officials are keep in making trips abroad for their personal gain.

He said that before becoming President of the ABA, he was Treasurer and there were some officials who demanded money from the association to accompany some boxers abroad, but on principle he was dead against this course of action and resigned immediately. He said that he spends his own money to go with the teams.

The style, technique and skills of Sri Lanka's boxers has to be improved to compete with international-class boxers. 'Our boxers usually lack toughness, they should be light on their feet and fast with their fists.

The ABA of Sri Lanka should get down a competent coach to train the local boxers.

No short-cuts

H. M. Marzook - the former St. Michael's Polwatta, Ceylon-German Technical Training College (CTB) and national boxer said that there are no short-cuts in boxing. "It is hard work that brought us to the top. There were no foreign coaches to train us, the local coaches did their part well and we made progress.", he said.

He has boxed in many Asian countries and hopes that boxing will soon catch up with some of the past deed of the boxers in the good old days.

Junior pool necessary

Donald Munasinghe - a retired school principal, a top administrator, boxing referee and judge, said that for boxing to develop in Sri Lanka, the Amateur Boxing Association should have a junior boxing pool in Colombo and in Kandy. The boxers must be well supported and the officials must also look into the nourishments that the boxers should get.

Donald Munasinghe knows the ins and outs of boxing as he was a boxer himself. He boxed for Thurstan and then getting on to coaching, he brought our many boxers from 1975 to 2000.