Kosala Nilmini and Dinidu Saparamadu won the Sri Lankan National Trials in Colombo

The Sri Lankan National Women’s and Men’s Trials was held for a selection for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The capital city of Sri Lanka, Colombo hosted the event where Sri Lanka’s best boxers such as Kosala Nilmini, Keshani Hansika, Thiwanka Sandaruwan Ranasinghe and Dushan Dinidu Saparamadu all won the titles.
The next edition of the Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast, Australia in April 2018 and the event was a selection for that important multisport competition. Sri Lanka competed in the recent editions of the Commonwealth Games with some successes and the South Asian country is hoping to get a medal in Gold Coast.
Kosala Nilmini, who is Sri Lanka’s most technician female boxer, dominated the Layton Cup in Colombo and following that traditional event she was able to beat her main national rival, AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships competitor Erandi Gimhani De Silva in a close final at the women’s light flyweight (48kg).
ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships competitor Dulani Anuradha Jayasinghe is their best woman flyweight (51kg) boxer who performed well enough and defeated H.S. Priyadarshani in the gold medal bout. M.A.S.S. Cooray is a national team member boxer but she was not able to get the title of the bantamweight (54kg) in the National Trials following her narrow loss to Sewandhi Thalgaspitiya.
Sri Lanka’s most experienced international female boxer Kasthuri Keshani Hansika lost in the final of the Layton Cup which was a big surprise but she was able to keep her focus and defeated all of her rivals in the National Trials. Krismi Ayoma Dulanjani Dharmatilake shocked Borala Liyanage Sadareka in the final of the women’s lightweight (60kg) and bagged an unexpected title against her strong rival.
Veteran Sri Lankan boxers shined at the women’s middleweight (75kg) which was finally won by ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships bronze medallist Dapana Durage Shiromala Weerarathna. She defeated South Asian Games silver medallist Andaraweera Nilanthi in the semi-final and I.W.S.S. Chandrasekara in the title bout.
The men’s light flyweight (49kg) saw big battles between the best Sri Lankan boxers but finally their ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships competitor 25-year-old Thiwanka Sandaruwan Ranasinghe achieved the title in this important category. He eliminated Sanjeeva Nuwan in the semi-final and proved also strong performance in the final against R.M.P. Dharmasena.
The men’s flyweight (52kg) delivered also top title contest which was finally won by the favourite Seneviratne Bandara who triumphed over Muthukurage Malith Prabashwara. Athuwulage Kasun Maduranga shocked the main favourite at the bantamweight (56kg), Ruwan Weerakoddi and following his lethal punches the referee confirmed his unexpected RSC success in the third round.
ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Dushan Dinidu Saparamadu competed well this year and qualified for also to the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships. The 25-year-old Sri Lankan No.1 boxer, who achieved medals in several international events this year, dominated his final against R.W.M.S.B. Rajakaruna at the light welterweight (64kg).
Mohamed Younus Dilshan returned to the world of boxing and he has done a big sensation in the semi-finals of the welterweight (69kg) when he was able to beat Sisira Kumarasinghe and following that success he was also too strong for Asanka Rajapaksha in the final. The middleweight (75kg) gold medal went to W.M.G.K.G.I. Ariyarathne who defeated veteran Mailawa Divarathne in the final of the event.
Doha International Tournament bronze medallist Gallage Ajith Nevil Fernando regained his national title at the light heavyweight (81kg) following his victory over W.A.R. Sadakelum while favourite Ambagasange Gedara Kav Gunarathna achieved only bronze. Sri Lanka’s top super heavyweight (+91kg) boxer Lahiru Tharanga B. Rathnadiwakara was unstoppable by his main rivals as Addurakaram Rallage Thilakarathne and M.W.M.M. Meegasthenna in their Nationals Trials.

List of the winners in the Sri Lankan National Trials
Women’s 48kg: Athwuda Achchilage Kosala Nilmini
Women’s 51kg: Dulani Anuradha Jayasinghe
Women’s 54kg: Sewandhi Thalgaspitiya
Women’s 57kg: Kasthuri Keshani Hansika
Women’s 60kg: Krismi Ayoma Dulanjani Dharmatilake
Women’s 64kg: A.M.P. Athapaththu
Women’s 69kg: Thanuja Nilakshi Dharmasena
Women’s 75kg: Dapana Durage Shiromala Weerarathna
Men’s 49kg: Thiwanka Sandaruwan Ranasinghe
Men’s 52kg: M.V.I.R. Seneviratne Bandara
Men’s 56kg: Athuwulage Kasun Maduranga
Men’s 60kg: M.B.A.J. Vimukthi Kumara
Men’s 64kg: Dushan Dinidu Saparamadu
Men’s 69kg: Mohamed Younus Dilshan
Men’s 75kg: W.M.G.K.G.I. Ariyarathne
Men’s 81kg: Gallage Ajith Nevil Fernando
Men’s 91kg: Jayaweera Patabendige Namal Nishshanka Jayaweera
Men’s +91kg: Lahiru Tharanga B. Rathnadiwakara