Sri Lanka’s best boxers shined in the 79th Layton Cup in Colombo

The Layton Cup is a tradition boxing event in Sri Lanka which was held for the elite female and male boxers. The new 79th edition of the Layton Cup was taking place at the MAS Boxing Arena in the capital city of Sri Lanka in Colombo. Sri Lanka’s most experienced international boxers as Kosala Nilmini, Keshani Kasthuri Hansika and Dushan Dinidu Saparamadu won their weight classes but a few surprises also delivered by younger hopes.
The President of the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka and ASBC EC member Mr. Dian Gomes was the Chief Guest of the finals in the Layton Cup. Mr. Dian Gomes received the highest Presidential Honorary Award the Sri Lanka Sikhmanani from the President of the State at the National Honours Ceremony in Colombo.
The Layton Cup was a selection event for the upcoming South Asian Games which will be taking place in Kathmandu, Nepal this December. Altogether 152 boxers including 34 women attended in the Layton Cup representing 18 different boxing clubs.
R.K.A.A. Ranasingha competed in the novice level last year but after those experiences she was able to beat K.K.I.T. Perera in the first female final. Kosala Nilmini moved up from the light flyweight (48kg) and the ASBC Asian Women’s Boxing Championships quarter-finalist defeated her main national rival H.S. Priyadarshani unanimously at the flyweight (51kg).
H.N. Sewandhi Thalgaspitiya lost to several times Muthuthanthri Sajeewani Cooray in the recent years’ national events but she delivered revenge in the final of the bantamweight (54kg). ASBC Asian Women’s Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Krismi Ayoma Dulanjani Dharmathilaka was too strong for M.G.M.T. Dasunika and won the title at the featherweight (57kg).
Sri Lanka’s most experienced female national team member Keshani Kasthuri Hansika claimed her next title after beating L.G. Chandrika at the lightweight (60kg). Police boxer P.U. Jayasuriya was not the main favourite for the gold medal at the women’s middleweight (75kg) but following two RSC successes, she could beat P.M.C.H. Bandara in the final of the category.
Sanjeewa Nuwan attended in the ASBC Asian Boxing Championships in Bangkok this year and those experiences paid off in the light flyweight (49kg) of the Layton Cup. The 27-year-old Army boxer had three narrow fights but he defeated Isanka Sanjaya, A.M.G.I. Bandara and N. Jinadasa in the Layton Cup achieving the first male title.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Seneviratne Bandara has been dominating the men’s flyweight (52kg) in the Sri Lankan national events since 2015 but this time the experienced Army boxer lost in the semi-finals to a young prospect K.V.L. Eranda. In the final of the category the gold medal went to 25-year-old Murukkuwa Roshan Sadaruwan who was slightly better and fresh against teenage hope Eranda.
Ruwan Thilina Weerakoddi is 31-year-old and following several national titles he was seeded as No.1 at the male bantamweight (56kg). In that category he had to face with his main rival U.N.K. Amarawansha but his technical skills were a clear success for him. N.B.A.J. Wimukthi Kumara achieved the title of the lightweight (60kg) following his success over H.A.H.D. Hettiarachchi.
Slimline’s Dushan Dinidu Saparamadu qualified for the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships and he achieved high number of medals in the international tournaments. Sri Lanka’s best male boxer won all of his four fights at the light welterweight (64kg) including the final against W.D.D. Weerasingha.
Madushanka Niel Hettiarachchi eliminated J.A.D. Sampath in the semi-final of the welterweight (69kg) and continued his winning path in the final against A.K.C. Madushanka which was another hectic fight. Pathirage Don Dinesh Maduranga moved up to the middleweight (75kg) which became a good decision and guaranteed gold for him in the Layton Cup.
A new Army boxer I.D.D.S.W. Waidhyarathna was not seeded at the heavyweight (91kg) but he was able to beat all of the favourites in the Layton Cup. The last gold medal of the national event was taken by 27-year-old Addurakaram Rallage Eranda Thilakarathne who attended at the Tashkent 2017 ASBC Asian Boxing Championships and defeated his rivals at the super heavyweight (+91kg).

List of the winners in the Layton Cup
Women’s 48kg: R.K.A.A. Ranasingha
Women’s 51kg: Kosala Nilmini
Women’s 54kg: H.N. Sewandhi Thalgaspitiya
Women’s 57kg: Krismi Ayoma Dulanjani Dharmathilaka
Women’s 60kg: Keshani Kasthuri Hansika
Women’s 64kg: A.M.P. Athapaththu
Women’s 69kg: H.M.K.G.L. Udayangani
Women’s 75kg: P.U. Jayasuriya
Men’s 49kg: Sanjeewa Nuwan
Men’s 52kg: Murukkuwa Roshan Sadaruwan
Men’s 56kg: Ruwan Thilina Weerakoddi
Men’s 60kg: N.B.A.J. Wimukthi Kumara
Men’s 64kg: Dushan Dinidu Saparamadu
Men’s 69kg: Madushanka Niel Hettiarachchi
Men’s 75kg: Pathirage Don Dinesh Maduranga
Men’s 81kg: M.E.M. Mudannayaka
Men’s 91kg: I.D.D.S.W. Waidhyarathna
Men’s +91kg: Addurakaram Rallage Eranda Thilakarathne

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