Boxing medal winners feted at Sports Ministry

Silver medallist Y.M. Usaith taking a selfie

By Allaam Ousman

The Sri Lanka boxing squad which won an unprecedented 23 medals at the ASBC Asian Under-22 and Youth Boxing Championships were felicitated at the Duncan White Auditorium of the Sports Ministry yesterday.

Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage and Deputy Minister Sugath Thillakaratne led the appreciation ceremony by lauding the athletes for bringing glory to the country.

Olympian Sugath Thillakaratne (left) and Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage

Minister Gamage also lauded the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) President Anuruddha Shanaka Bandara for the dynamic role he played in bringing an event of such magnitude to Sri Lanka.

The Championships, the first major international competition held in the country after nearly six decades, was hailed as a resounding success with the participation of 23 countries and over 200 pugilists.

Sri Lanka won five silver medals and 18 bronze medals.

“Hosting this championships in Colombo was one of the biggest challenges. It was possible due to the determination of BASL President Anuruddha Shanaka Bandara and his team. Even if we didn’t win a medal I would have not been disappointed. Staging this championship in Colombo was the biggest victory,” said Minister Gamage who revealed that the International Boxing Association now wants Sri Lanka to stage a World Boxing Championship in 2026.

The Sports Minister assured the medallists that they would do everything possible to provide high performance training and nutrition while urging them to continue striving to bring glory to the country in boxing.

Olympian Thillakaratne while echoing the sentiments of the Sports Minister also urged the boxing medal winners to continue their journey to win an Olympic medal either in 2028 Los Angeles of 2032 Games.

BASL President Anuruddha Shanaka Bandara expressed his gratitude to the new BASL Secretary Tharanga Perera and his team for making his dream of hosting this championship a reality. “As long as I am President of the Boxing Association, I will do everything in my power to develop boxing in the country and produce an Olympic medallist,” he said thanking the trio of Sports Minister Gamage, Deputy Minister Thillakaratne and Director General Shemal Fernando for their constant support and encouragement to make the event a success.

Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage and BASL President  Anuruddha Shanaka Bandara speaking to the silver medal winners