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| Sunday, 14 August 2005 |
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Ten boxers from Sri Lanka for Scotland and Hanoi by Lal Gunesekera Seven boxers will represent Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Boxing Championship to be staged in Scotland from August 15 to 21, while ten boxers are to compete at the Asian championships in Hanoi, Vietnam from August 28 to September 5. Three boxers (Manju Wanniaratchi, Anurudha Ratnayake and Kamal Sameera) are already in Cuba under training with their Cuban coach George Fromotha, and will fly direct to Scotland. Four others (Harsha Kumara, Indika Kumara, Upali Bandara and W.M.R. Wekadapola) left for Scotland from Sri Lanka last morning (Saturday). The seven boxers are accompanied by Dian Gomes (the President of ABA as manager), Wazeer Sourjah (Assistant Manager) and coaches George Fromotha and Capt R.K. Indrasena. Wanniaratchi will fight in the Bantam weight (54 kg), Ratnayake (Fly weight - (51 kg), Sameera (Feather - 57 kg), Harsha Kumara (Light Fly - 48 kg), Indika Kumara (Welter - 69 kg) Upali Bandara (Light - 60 kg) and Wekadapola (Light Welter - 64 kg). Former Policeman, Indika Kumara, who is an old boy of Vidyartha is the Welter weight champion for the past two years and has fought in Indonesia and Thailand too as well as South Asian Games in 2004. Wekadapola, also an ex-Policeman, is the national Light Welter champion and an old boy of St. Sylvester's. He has also boxed in Indonesia and Thailand, while Upali Bandara, is an old boy from Vidyartha and national Light Weight champion, who has fought in Indonesia, Thailand too, apart from 1999 SAF Games in Nepal. All seven boxers are employees of Slimline, a subsidiery of MAS Holdings (Pvt) Limited. The other three boxers who will join them in Vietnam for the Asian Championship are: R.M.S.P. Wanninayake (Light Heavy), Ansar (Super Heavy) and Fernando (Middle Weight) who are all from the Army. They will be accompanied to Hanoi by Brigadier Jaliya Jayasuriya (Secretary of ABA as manager), coaches Fromotha and Capt Indrasena and C. Caldera (Referee' Judge). These 10 boxers together with 14 others are in the national pool for the South Asian Games scheduled to be staged in Sri Lanka in April next year (2006) and are in a residential camp at Slimline, Pannala. In the pool are 11 from Army, eight from Slimline, three from Navy, two from Unichella and one from Police. The President of the ABA, Dian Gomes, who is a top executive at MAS Holdings, encourages sports at his establishment at Slimline, which is situated in a 17-acre plot of land at Pannala. Slimline has made a big impact on the national sports with employees excelling in boxing (men and women), women's rugby, women's cricket, karate, volleyball, rifle-shooting and athletics and all facilities are provided for their sportsmen and women. |
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