Navy Commander Colombage presents boxing ring to St. Sylvester's College

by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr.

The Commander of the Navy and an illustrious old of St. Sylvester's College Jayanath Colombage has presented his alma mater with a state of the art boxing ring which is being currently installed at the Junior School Hall of St. Sylvester's College, Kandy.

Jayanath Colombage was a top athlete and a member of the cadet corp while in school. Recently the school felicitated him on his appointment as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy and on that occasion he presented the school with a magnificent trophy to be awarded to the Best Sportsman of the Year every year.

Former Deputy Inspector General of Police and double international (boxing and Rugby), Nimal Lewke another top product of St. Sylvester's College in a letter to the Principal of the school Ranil Meetiyagoda has made a suggestion that this boxing ring be named after their former boxing coach late Derrick Raymond who had produced over 20 national boxers, including the legendary boxer Malcolm Bulner. Derrick Raymond was also the Sri Lanka Schools and Sri Lanka Boxing coach.

He has further suggested that a potrait of Malcolm Bulner be hang at this Boxing Hall. Malcolm Bulners' feats in the boxing ring has been unsurpassed even after fifty years and it is very unlikely it will be equalled in the near future.He was undefeated in Sri Lanka and at the age of 18 he as a schoolboy, represented the country at the Commonwealth Games of 1962 at Perth, Australia. He is the first from Sri Lanka to represent the country at the Olympic Games as a schoolboy in Tokyo in 1964.

He was the undisputed welterweight boxing champion of Sri Lanka. He migrated to Australia in 1966 and become the National Boxing Champion of Australia.

He was thus the national welterweight boxing champion of Sri Lanka and Australia.

Malcolm Bulner was selected to represent Australia in the Mexico Olympic Games of 1968 but he was short by four months for the three-year residential qualifications required to represent that country. He is now a WBA referee and was also a professional boxer winning 20 fights.