Sanjaya Bandara and Lasindu Eranda celebrated titles in the Sri Lankan U22 National Selection Tournament
Sri Lanka could not host any national events in the recent one and half year but boxing returned in their U22 National Selection Tournament which was held to decide their team in the upcoming ASBC Asian U22 Boxing Championships. Sri Lanka’s elite national team member Kuda Vithanage Lasindu Eranda is their best future hope and will lead their delegation in the U22 Championships.
The ASBC Asian U22 Boxing Championships will be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on January 20-30 and Sri Lanka registered eight boxers to the event. The Sri Lankans competed in the previous editions of the ASBC Asian Boxing Championships and sent their elite, youth and junior boxers to Dubai in 2021.
The girls could attend in three weight categories in the U22 National Selection Tournament where the minimumweight (48kg) was a strong category with the participation of seven boxers. Senuri Vayanga Rathnapuli was among the favourites but she earned only bronze while the title went to Wellappili Nawodya Sandeepani who will be turning to 22 later this year and will have the chance to show her skills in Tashkent.
Kumarage Watthe Imesha Sewwandi Fernando was born in 1999 and she has got the experiences from several previous national events therefore she could manage all of her tactical jobs in the selection event. The 21-year-old Lokuge Ishara Nishadi Malshani won the third women’s weight class in the U22 National Selection Tournament following her early success over H.S. Ishara at the flyweight (52kg).
Samutun Mudiyanselage Kavinda Sanjaya Bandara attended at the Bangkok 2018 ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships and the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in the same year. The 22-year-old boxer will represent Sri Lanka at the minimumweight (48kg) in Tashkent following his national success over A.H.M. Gunawardhana.
Kuda Vithanage Lasindu Eranda is not only the top member of their current U22 national team but he is Elite National Champion in Sri Lanka and one of the most experienced boxers. The promising flyweight (51kg) boxer is aiming for a place to the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in 2022 but his first stoppage will be the ASBC Asian U22 Boxing Championships.
Hewa Gamage Chathura Lakshan defeated Suraj Thisantha in the final of the men’s featherweight (57kg) and earned the next title in the selection event. Lekam Ralalage Gedara Gagul Pahasara is only 19 but he won the lightweight (60kg) and stopped all of his opponents. Yokeswaran Kiritharan is not an experienced boxer yet but he proved his progress and defeated the favourite, H.M.K.C. Ekanayake in the final of the light welterweight (63.5kg).
List of the winners in the Sri Lankan U22 National Selection Tournament
Women’s 48kg: Wellappili Nawodya Sandeepani Women’s 50kg: Kumarage Watthe Imesha Sewwandi Fernando Women’s 52kg: Lokuge Ishara Nishadi Malshani Men’s 48kg: Samutun Mudiyanselage Kavinda Sanjaya Bandara Men’s 51kg: Kuda Vithanage Lasindu Eranda Men’s 57kg: Hewa Gamage Chathura Lakshan Men’s 60kg: Lekam Ralalage Gedara Gagul Pahasara Men’s 63.5kg: Yokeswaran Kiritharan
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