Village girl Ishara Perera jumped into the boxing arena by accident and is giving Air Force just what it wanted, a woman as a model in what was once a man’s domain:
Ishara Perera
Boxing resurgence at Air Force was underscored at the 96th National Boxing Championship held at Royal MAS Arena when their women pugilists finished as the most outstanding for the second consecutive year.
This was further underlined when Leading Aircraftwoman Ishara Thushari Perera, was adjudged the most scientific woman boxer after easily outpointing M.D.P. Manathunga of the Army to win the Feather weight (under 57kg) title.
It capped a remarkable year for 28-year-old Ishara Perera, a mother of a three-year-old daughter, who is on the comeback trail after a brief hiatus from the sport following her marriage in 2019.
Hailing from a fishing family in Wadduwa, the eldest in a family of three did not show any inclination to do sports when she attended a village school and dropped out after doing her O-Levels.
It was when she joined Unichela as a garment factory employee in 2014 that her hidden talent came to the fore. “When boxing coach Rohan Dangalle was looking for new girls for boxing, I put my hand up and I was encouraged to continue because I had the height advantage,” she recalled.
The boxing dream of a then 18-year-old Ishara was sparked when she won the gold medal at the BASL Junior National Championships in the under Fly weight under 51kg weight class and bronze medal at the BASL Novices meet.
She enjoyed more success in 2015, winning the BASL Novices, Intermediates and the major Layton Cup meet followed by a silver at the Clifford Cup boxing in the Bantam weight under 54kg division.
Recruited by Air Force in 2016 for her outstanding boxing performance, she was the Best Loser at the Defence Services meet winning a silver medal. She could not replicate her success in major meets in 2017 and 2018 having to settle for silver and bronze though winning a gold medal at the Defence Services meet.
She took an enforced break from the sport because of marriage and nursing an infant but rebounded with renewed vigour and energy in 2022 to win the Layton Cup for the second time and win her first national title displaying that she had not lost her skills.
Stepping up to the higher feather weight (under 57kg) to make way for her team mates, Ishara reigned supreme last year carrying all before her to remain unbeaten.
More importantly, she impressed boxing connoisseurs to be adjudged the Best Boxer at the National Sports Festival, Clifford Cup and the Nationals in addition to winning the Layton Cup.
“When I got the Best Boxer award at the festival meet, my ambition was to become the Best Boxer at the Nationals. This dream came true,” she said with elation.
While paying gratitude to all her coaches during her career including Flight Sgt. Karunaratne and Corporal Ariyarathne in addition to present Air Force coach Sampath Jayathilaka, Ishara Perera’s life changed after joining the Air Force regiment.
“I wish to thank the Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, the Air Force boxing committee officials and senior officers of Air Force who supported and encouraged me in my career,” she said.
“My aim is to bring glory to Sri Lanka at international level,” declared the gangly Air Force national champion.
The 2023 edition of the Nationals conducted by the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) had more than 150 men and women boxers representing 20 clubs vying for honours during five days of exciting competition from January 13 to 17.
Army dominated the 96th National Boxing Championships, securing major awards, including the coveted Sir William Manning Challenge Trophy for the Best Boxer (men). They clinched nine gold medals out of 13 weight classes in the men’s competition, further solidifying their dominance in the sport.
Having won five gold medals at the Layton Cup and nine gold medals at the Clifford Cup tournaments, they retained the Muttiah Xavier Memorial Challenge Cup awarded to Most Successful Men’s Club of 2023.
K.G. Chamil Pathmasiri who outpointed Navy’s WMGKGI Ariyarathna in the Middle weight (under 75kg) final provided the icing on the cake for Army when he was adjudged the Best Boxer of the meet.
Intermediates Best Boxer D.H. Tisaraarachchi of Back2Fit was consoled with the Donald Munasinghe Challenge Trophy Best Loser men’s award after a split decision in a thrilling duel with Army’s H.M.L.P. Jayawardana in the Minimum (under 48kg) weight class.
Army received the Sgt Selladorai Memorial Challenge Cup for Champion Team at the National Championship winning nine gold and three silver medals followed by Police BC and Navy BC.
More significantly, Air Force continued their dominance in the women’s competition receiving the Neiva Embuldeniya Challenge Trophy for the champion team at the Nationals winning five gold, one silver and one bronze medal followed by Army BC and Police.
Army’s M.G.M.T. Dasunika received the Best Loser award for women after a narrow decision against Air Force’s multiple national champion Sajeewani Cooray in the Light weight (under 60kg) title clash.
