The final Boxing meet for the year 2014, the 89th ABA Men and Women National boxing championship saw an end yesterday at the Sugathadasa indoor stadium.
Owing to the fact that the junior nationals boxing meet is most likely to be postponed to the next year the ABA Men and Women Nationals Boxing championship can be regarded as the finale to the Boxing calendar for 2014. The talent that was displayed the last few days at the stadium was exuberant and the sport seems more alive than ever before.
KALU Kaushalya was a favorite in the meet competing in the Light welter weight 64kg weight class but, it was utter disappointment as she lost to JVPC Jayasekara. Jayasekara, definitely the underdog in this bout was very technical and sound in defense as well as offense which eventually won her the bout 3 rounds to nil.
In the men’s category the final and 110th bout of the meet was a looked forward to bout between M M Prabashwara and P M T S Ranasinghe in the light fly 49kg weight class. Prabashwara was deadly from the start of the bout and was all over Ranasinge who found it hard to keep his hands up to defend the powerful upper cuts of Prabashwara. The bout didn’t last too long as Ranasinghe lost to Prabashwara through a technical knockout in the 1st round of the bout.
The awards ceremony was graced by Mrs. Nieva Embuldeniya who was the Winner of Best Asian Technical Delegate Award in 2012, the Vice Chairperson; AIBA Women’s Commission 2010 -2014 and an Executive Committee member of ABA as the chief guest while Mr. Herbert Embuldeniya who was an Executive member of AIBA for 12 years an International Technical Official, who is also the Vice President ABA and the BRJ graced the occasion as the guest of honor.
The Best Boxer – Women was won by J A D Jayasinghe of MAS SOUTH – A boxing team while the Most Scientific Boxer at the Nationals for the Sir William Manning Challenge Trophy – Men was won by RGS Kumarasinghe of the NAVY boxing club. Slimline A won the Sgt Selvadurai Memorial Challenge Cup for the Most Successful Club at the National Championships -2014 and the Most Outstanding Boxer of the year 2014 was won by M Y M Dilshan of Air Force for winning Bronze at the ‘Robert to Balado’ Cuban International Boxing Tournament 2014 and winning Gold and being awarded Best Boxer at the Lion’s Cup International Boxing Tournament 2014.
As this tournament marks the end of this year’s boxing agenda the talent throughout the year has only improved and it is a much appreciated sight to see the sport which was once the most popular sport in the 80’s gain popularity once again.
