Nilmini Jayasinghe emerges of a lioness
Sri Lanka’s champion women’s
pugilist Nilmini Jayasinghe is over the moon. In a sport which is a
man’s domain, particularly in Sri Lanka where the fairer sex are more or
less strongly outnumbered competition-wise. Nilmini, in the wake of her
achievement in Russia has emerged like a lioness in a rib bruising sport
more often than not filled with blood and jarred bodies from the type of
competition it lets loose in the ring.
 Nilmini, who cherishes this feather in a bag as a huge stepping stone
to furthering her career, said that she rates her triumph at a major
international boxing meet - the Russian Invitation Women’s Boxing
Championship in Russia as the high point in her career.
“It will definitely spur me on in a sport that hitherto scope and
opportunity was hard to come by with men dominating boxing in Sri Lanka.
She said that here it is mostly personnel from the Armed Forces who take
an interest in boxing as a sport.
“The Sri Lanka Army and the Navy take a great interest in making an
impact in boxing,” said Nilmini. It was in the 51 category weight that
Nilmini won a gold medal competing in all against competitors from 11
countries. In the quarter finals the Sri Lankan lass beat a Ukranian
opponent, in the semi-final a Russian and in the final a Canadian.
The decisive event for the medal saw Nilmini seemingly strongly punch
holes in her opponent to win on points by a 6-1 margin. Traversing
further as to her career, Nilmini, who is employed at Slimline in the
Human Resources Department, said that for long she had been like in the
wilderness unable to make an impact.
This was mainly due to the fact that there were very few women’s
boxers with only about 30 in competitive boxing and as such the fairer
sex not getting enough opportunities to compete. “Competition was very
limited at domestic level. Even if I won the bouts did not go the
distance and this was a demoralising factor because I was stagnating as
a result unable to move on to a higher level,” mused Nilmini hailing
from Pannala.
But the lass did not let this setback demoralise her. “I was strong
willed and was determined to stay with confidence that someday I would
to brave strong opposition on my way to laying hands on the coveted gold
medal,” said Nilmini proudly did playing her gold medal.
Nilmini’s career in this blood sport has spanned two years and she
has been under the wing of two Cuban coaches, first Prometa and then
Rafel who both she acknowledges played a big role in fine tuning her to
the level she has reached now. Before that her international success had
been at the Asian Championships in 2006 when she won a bronze medal and
in 2008 also at the same corresponding meet once again won a bronze
medal. She said that with her latest success she would strive to make it
in a bigger way to the international circuit.
“This year there will be more openings for me. There will be the
Commonwealth Championships to be held in India, the World Championships
in Barbados and several international tournaments where I will strive to
win the big events which would enable me to qualify to make it to the
2012 Olympics. That is a tall dream, but I am confident that I can make
the contingent if I dedicate myself to rigorous training,” hoped Nilmini.
Her training schedule is made up of a two phased daily routine in the
morning and the evening. In the morning Nilmini would concentrate on
physical training like jogging and power training. In the evening it is
partner training and sparring.
Nilmini is a product of first Elabalagama MV, Pannala and Sandalanka
Central College, Pannala. She said that she was ever grateful to Dian
Gomes, the Managing Director of Slimline Company which knits together
sportswomen in providing them employment. Moreover, Dian Gomes was the
father figure of boxing in Sri Lanka, according to Nilmini Jayasinghe
who went on to compliment him in these words, “If not for Dian Gomes
there would be no boxing in Sri Lanka.
Such has been his dedication to the sport and he has left no stones
unturned in finecombing women’s boxing talent and bringing them to
Colombo where in Ratmalana he has provided them employment, shelter and
provided them the avenues to continue their boxing careers. |
