Three sisters made boxing history as they stormed the ring that for over a century was associated with boys only at the Stubbs Shield championship that concluded at the Royal College MAS Arena in Colombo on Friday.
The three sisters Yashini, Sashini and Sachin Fernando won gold medals while boxing for their school Viharamahadevi Balika Vidyalaya in Kiribathgoda while a fourth team member Aparna Wijesinghe also won a gold medal. While two of the sisters fought in the senior category, one boxed in the youth category.
They were all coached by Shehani Illangaratne and it marked the first time that girls were allowed to step into the ring and show what they are made of in the 104-year old history of the Stubbs Shield known as the pinnacle of schools boxing that produced Olympic pugilists for the country.
Best boxers at the Stubbs Shield: HMNA Herath of Hemamali Girls College, Kandy and YVM Premaratna of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia
St Sylvester’s College, Kandy won the title for the 17th time where over 350 boys and girls from more than a hundred schools competed over five days.
Hemamali Girls College, Kandy who were runners-up winning two gold medals produced the Best Boxer of the meet HMNA Herath while the Best Loser was SMN Miloniya of Siri Perakum Vidyalaya, Kotagala.
The Sylvestrians who had six finalists produced four gold medallists in the senior weight category to regain the trophy which they last won in 2018. In a dramatic finale, AGVH Jayasinghe fighting courageously with six sutures above his left eye scored a stunning victory over the more fancied Rayman of Royal College.
Rayman, a Sri Lanka junior international, lived up to his billing unleashing his power and displaying his superiority to win the opening round of the 60-64kg contest.
However, Rayman looked like a spent bullet in the next two rounds despite clowning around by keeping hands low in a show of confidence. This proved to be his downfall as Jayasinghe kept his cool and landed scoring blows against the former Bandaranayake Central College, Veyangoda fighter who offered himself as a punching bag in a bizarre contest.
Kadugannawa National School with two gold medals and silver were runners-up while S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia were joint third with Trinity College, Kandy having two winners apiece.
Thomian Yasindu Premaratne won the coveted Col. T.Y. Wright Challenge Cup for the most Scientific Boxer. Trinitian Salman Faris also gave an impressive performance displaying superb technique and ring-craft to win a close contest against Sylvestrian SPP Angelo who was consoled with the Best Loser’s award.
Boys Senior:
46-49kg: SNISKM Faris (Trinity College, Kandy) beat SPP Angelo (St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy) WP 3:2
49-52kg: M Shaheed (St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy) beat THAJA Sanjana (Narandeniya National School) WP 5:0
52-56kg: TMWB Bandara (Trinity College, Kandy) beat KGKM Karunasinha (Dharmaraja College, Kandy) WP 5:0
56-60kg: YVM Premarathna (S. Thomas’, Mt. Lavinia) beat PGCM Kumara (St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy) WP 4:1
60-64kg: AGVH Jayasinghe (St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy) beat MTS Rayman (Royal College, Colombo) WP 4:1
64-69kg: MM Paris (St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy) beat AKGAN Amunupura (Kingswood College, Kandy) WP 4:1
69-75kg: YM Usaith (Sri Sumangala College, Kandy) beat YN Bulathgama (Ananda College, Colombo) RSC R2
75-81kg: MRA Rahuman (St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy) beat KMTH Dasanayaka (Kingswood College, Kandy) ABD R1
Girls Senior:
45-48kg: MKM Muthuni (Dharmaloka College, Pelmadulla) beat S Janupriya (Thirunaanasambanthar Vidyalaya) WP 5:0
48-51kg: SHSR Fernando (Viharamahadevi Balika Vidyalaya, Kiribathgoda) beat MDK Dewindi (Siri Piyarathana National School, Padukka) WP 5:0
51-54kg: SHYR Fernando (Viharamahadevi Balika Vidyalaya, Kiribathgoda) beat S Janusha (Thirunaanasambanthar Vidyalaya) RSC R1
54-57kg: HHR Himasha (Narandeniya National School) beat L Kajenthini (Poonthoddam MV) WP 4:1
57-60kg: U Keerthana (Thirunaanasambanthar Vidyalaya) beat HBV Tharunethu (Methodistha National School) WP 5:0
