Sri Lanka’s K.K. Ishari Thushari Perera concluded her International debut as Army’s boxers, Podi Arachchige Rukmal Prasanna and Yagamage Sithija Prathap Sudamma all bowed out of the ASBC Asian Elite Men and Women Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai on Sunday and Monday with a disappointing exits.
Sri Lanka’s K.K. Ishari Thushari Perera, a 29-year-old Air Force boxer and recipient of the Best Boxer (Women) award at the Layton Cup, faced a tough challenge in the women’s light flyweight (50kg) category during her international debut at the ASBC Asian Elite Men and Women Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai. Matched against 19-year-old Chiu Ching Yu, a skilled southpaw from Chinese Taipei, Perera struggled to capitalize on her slight reach advantage. Although one judge favored her in the first round, her slow start and difficulty in countering effectively proved decisive.
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Ching Yu, who previously competed in the 2023 ASBC Asian Youth and 2024 ASBC Asian U22 Boxing Championships, maintained control throughout the bout. Her relentless pace and precision strikes left Perera unable to connect effectively with right crosses and left hooks while boxing from a distance. The fight concluded with a unanimous decision in favor of Ching Yu, with one judge scoring a lopsided 30:25.
Perera’s loss marked the fifth early exit for Sri Lanka’s contingent in the tournament, joining other eliminated athletes from among the 21 participating nations, including Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and host Thailand.
On Sunday, Sri Lankan Army boxers Podi Arachchige Rukmal Prasanna and Yagamage Sithija Prathap Sudamma also bowed out.
Prasanna, competing in the men’s featherweight (57kg) category, faced Turkmenistan’s Dovlet Muhanov. Despite his Commonwealth Games quarter-finalist experience, Prasanna struggled against Muhanov’s 10cm height advantage and tactical defence. The close bout ended in Muhanov’s favor, with three judges scoring it 29:28 and two awarding him 30:27.
Meanwhile, Sudamma’s light heavyweight (80kg) match against Ukraine’s Ivan Sapun was cut short due to a clash of heads, which resulted in an eye cut for Sudamma. Officials stopped the contest, awarding Sapun the victory based on points.
Despite these setbacks, Sri Lanka’s 12-member boxing contingent remains hopeful. With six boxers advancing directly to the quarterfinals, the team aims to turn their fortunes around and pursue medal opportunities on the continental stage.
