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Hanguranketha Muay Thai champions

23 Mar 2022

      [caption id="attachment_195372" align="alignleft" width="456"] (From left) Jamitha Bandara, Randika Kekulandara, Isuru Rathnayake, Kasun Gunawardhana, and Dinesh Kumara at the recently held WBC Muay Thai Sri Lanka meet at the Royal MAS arena, Colombo[/caption]   By Dinith Pathiraja The WBC (World Boxing Council) Muay Thai Sri Lanka recently conducted its first professional Muay Thai meet at the Royal MAS arena in Colombo. Thai Ambassador to Sri Lanka Poj Harnpol was the Chief Guest at this prestigious occasion which was supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Sri Lanka. Since this was the very first meet organised by the WBC Muay Thai Sri Lanka, there was a very large crowd in attendance and it was a unique experience for all the attendees. The purpose of this meet was to make sure that the Muay Thai fighters of Sri Lanka would have an avenue to pursue the sport professionally and to make a living through the sport in the future. Hanguranketha Muay Thai Club Before going any further, in the interests of full disclosure, it must be mentioned that this writer has been involved in helping the Sri Lankan Muay Thai players in various capacities for around four years now. Players representing the Hanguranketha Muay Thai Club (HMTC) took part in this meet and performed admirably, remaining unbeaten throughout the event. With only 12 weight classes competing at this event, the fact that four of these events were won by the players from HMTC speaks volumes of their potential. Players representing clubs from Colombo, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, Galle, and various other parts of the country took part in this event. Pallebowela National School These players, who represented HMTC, were Kasun Gunawardena (representing the 52 kg weight category), Isuru Rathnayake (55.5 kg), Dinesh Kumara (63.5 kg), in the men’s events, and Nimesha Kumari representing the 55.5 kg weight category in women’s. The HMTC has been at the forefront of the Muay Thai expansion in Sri Lanka, with the players representing the club as well as their school Pallebowela National School, Hanguranketha and being very successful in winning many championships including international medals. Helping him build a new house Trained by their long-time coach Jamitha Bandara, Kasun Gunawarardena first brought glory to Sri Lanka by winning a silver medal at the World Youth Muay Thai championships in Thailand in 2018. He followed this up by winning a bronze medal at the World Muay Thai Championships in Thailand in 2021. Son of a mason and housewife, Kasun is the second in a family of three boys. Continuing the sport with great financial difficulties, recently he was awarded a sponsorship by Milco (Pvt.) Ltd for which he is very grateful. After he won the silver medal at the World Youth Championships in 2018, a number of philanthropists came forward and helped to build him a new house. Milco scholarships [caption id="attachment_195376" align="alignleft" width="454"] (From left) Nimesha Kumari, also from Hanguranketha who represented in the 55.5 kg weight category, with Jamitha Bandara, Chathuranga Sujith, and Amila E. Sanjeewa in Colombo. Kumari is one of the Muai Thai practitioners to have a much-needed Milco scholarship[/caption] Another of the HMTC fighters who is sponsored by Milco Company is Nimesha Kumari, daughter of a carpenter. She is the second in a family comprising two other boys. With the elder brother working in the Air Force, she was also recently awarded a scholarship through the Milco company’s scholarship programme. If not for these two scholarships, both these players would have had to give up this sport a long time back. Third in the line of the Hanguranketha students who are doing the sport is Isuru Rathnayake. Isuru, whose father is a policeman and the mother a housewife, is the eldest in the family with his younger sister still in school. Sanajaya Herath and David Perera Rathnayake has reached this current level through great determination and hard work, though he does not have any sponsors at present. He has also represented Sri Lanka twice in the World Youth Muay Thai Championships as well as representing the country at the World Championships this year. He is very confident that, given the right circumstance and with the help of sponsors, he can also reach a level where he is able to compete for international medals in this sport. Both Kasun and Isuru are very grateful to Sanajaya Herath and David Perera who were instrumental in helping them when they were struggling to continue the sport in the early years of their careers. And in fact, it was through the “one home at a time” concept of Caryl Tozer, David’s wife, that Kasun was able to build a house through the help of philanthropists. Dinesh Kumara If not for the help that they received in those years, they would not be continuing their sport at present. Whilst there have been a lot of others since, these two players remain very grateful for the help of these personalities in their journey to reach this level. Dinesh Kumara who is the only player from HMTC who is not a student at present is a 30-year-old who is working at Pizza Hut. He is thankful to his company for granting him leave to practise for this tournament and is continuing the sport through great hardships. He is also very grateful to his Coach Jamitha Bandara who guided him to victory at this event. One of the best sporting events ever [caption id="attachment_195377" align="alignleft" width="453"] Muay Thai is an emerging martial art in the island[/caption] The WBC Muay Thai Sri Lanka meet was held with great pomp and pageantry and was very well organised. The WBC Muay Thai Sri Lanka can take great credit for the way the meet was organised. Its Country Representative Roshan Duminda as well as its original benefactor, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Miran Nilangana can take heart from the performances at the meet and also the technical ability shown by the players. The level of play on display at the meet augurs well for the spread of this noble sport in the future in Sri Lanka. Having attended a number of international events of various sports, this writer can easily attest to the fact that this was probably one of the best sporting events ever held on this island. Jamitha Bandara Coach Bandara should take a lot of credit for the performances of his charges. It is through his hard work, commitment, dedication, and the “never-say-die” attitude that he has been able to make sure that these players have reached this level. Most of the time, he has taken the initiative to find the needs of his students through personal contacts and it is a testament to his ingenuity that these players have been able to reach such a high level. “These players can reach even higher levels. If we are able to get help from benefactors and sponsors for further improvement of these players, I am very confident that they will be able to win international medals for Sri Lanka,” said Bandara speaking to the writer. Miraculous development Having seen firsthand the hardships that these players have to undergo in training for this sport, their performances are nothing short of miraculous! What is even more astounding is the fact that they have been able to achieve all these performances even without having a ring at their school where all of them are still training. If these players are given the correct guidance and help, they are very likely to bring glory to the country in abundance in the very near future.  

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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