Sri Lankan pugilists settle with four bronze medals
Sri Lanka’s young boxers fought with heart and courage but fell short of reaching the finals, settling for four hard-earned bronze medals as the ASBC Asian U22 and Youth Boxing Championships continued at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo yesterday.
In a tense and action-packed afternoon, four Sri Lankans entered ring in the semi-final bout, hoping to fight their way into the gold medal bouts. Despite brave performances, all four suffered defeats against strong opponents from Kazakhstan and other Asian boxing powerhouses. With these latest results, Sri Lanka’s medal tally at the championship rose to five bronze medals — a notable achievement for the host nation in a tournament dominated by international contenders.
Sri Lanka's Warnakulasooriya Weliketiye Gedara (Red) in action against Kazakhstan's Nurkhan Kumarbekov during their Men’s 48kg semi-final
The most closely fought bout of the day for Sri Lanka came in the Women’s 48kg category when Pavani Muthugala went toe-to-toe with India’s Chanchal Kumari. Pavani fought valiantly, winning over one judge, but eventually lost by a 4-1 decision. It was a contest marked by sharp exchanges from the local favourite.
In the Men’s 48kg weight class, Warnakulasooriya Weliketiye Gedara faced a tough opponent in Kazakhstan’s Nurkhan Kumarbekov. The Sri Lankan boxer showed good movement and spirit but was outscored across all five judges’ cards, going down 5-0.
Another tough battle saw Ampa Witana Arachchilage Jayathissa taking on Kazakhstan’s Nygmet Nygman in the Men’s 57kg division. Despite the crowd’s support and Jayathissa’s brave effort, he was defeated on points 5-0.
The fourth bronze medal came from Susantha Weerasena, who served as a referee earlier in the day, but the athlete in the Women’s 48kg semi-final fell short against Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai in a 4-1 points decision.
Sri Lanka’s Sabrina Rahim (Red) delivers a determined punch in her intense bout at the ASBC Asian U22 and Youth Boxing Championships
Despite the setbacks, Sri Lanka’s boxing President Anuruddha Bandara hailed the achievement of their young fighters.
“These four bronze medals and the earlier medal show the steady growth of youth boxing in the country,” said a proud President from the Sri Lanka Boxing Association.
“Our boxers fought hard against the best in Asia, and this experience will only make them stronger.”
Elsewhere on the sixth day of the championships, Kazakhstan underlined its dominance, sending multiple fighters into the finals with decisive victories. The ASBC Asian U22 and Youth Boxing Championships will continue today, with the finals set to deliver more fierce battles inside the ring.