Yasidu Premaratna creates Thomian boxing history
The 104th Stubbs Shield All-Island Schools Boxing Championship, took place from September 25 to 29 at the Royal MAS Arena, organised by the Schools Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (SBASL), and it remains as the pinnacle of school-level event in Sri Lanka.
The Stubbs Shield has a rich history dating back to its inauguration in 1914 when Sir R.E. Stubbs, the then Colonial Secretary of Ceylon, played a pivotal role by presenting the Stubbs Shield, sparking the growth of boxing in schools, and nurturing the sport’s development. The Chief Guest was none other than Dian Gomes, who has single handedly contributed towards the development of the sport in
Sri Lanka graced the occasion.
The championship is an integral part of the All-Island School Games and has garnered immense respect in the Sri Lankan Schools’ sports calendar with over 350 promising young boxers from more than 100 schools in the competition. Only national medalists are allowed to take part in this prestigious event in the boxing calendar.
The competition featured a total of 21 weight categories for boys and 15 weight classes for girls, ensuring that there’s an opportunity for boxers of all sizes and skills to shine. However, the defending champions, Peradeniya Central College, wasn’t able to continue their dominance this year. Few nail-biting fights took place during the finals between boxers from S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, Trinity
College, Royal College and
St. Sylvester’s College, who clinched the Stubbs Shield.
Thomian captain Yasidu Premaratna won the coveted Col. T.Y. Write Challenge Cup awarded to the Best Boxer at the competition not forgetting his triumph as the ‘Best Loser Award’ at
T.B. Jayah National Boxing Tournament held in Kandy few weeks ago. He is the second Thomian boxer in the school’s history to win this award. Repeating history in the year 1991, where N.I.S. Silva, coincidently in similar fashion, beat a St. Sylvesterian to win this prestigious award.
Undoubtedly the hard work put in during the last year has paid dividends for the young Thomians with a formidable coaching staff consisting of Asanka Rajapakshe, a former Sri Lankan Commonwealth boxer and national champion Senuk Himanjith, a former Thomian Stubbs Shield gold medalist. The Master-in-Charge, Lakshman Soyza has also boxed for Sri Lanka Air Force.
The lanky lad from Mount Lavinia has been able to gather his troops around who seems to excel in leadership skills, winning a whopping total of 12 national level medals for the Thomians compared
to just four last year. This remarkable achievement with a small team of just six members is worth the admiration. The Thomians won the second runners-up (Joint winners with Trinity) after a hiatus of 59 years. This win should encourage more Thomians to take up the sport seriously as they last won the Stubbs Shield way back in 1964. This achievement comes with immense hard work put in by the boys, targeted training for almost a year with minimum support from a school where rugby and cricket is prioritised.
Young Premaratna comes from family of two boys, a well-supported
sporting background where his brother Uvindu Premaratna, who represented Sri Lanka in junior karate and also captained the Thomian team in 2017. He was also a promising oarsman in the Thomian crew. His father, Nalin Premaratna, is a well-known 4x4 expert - rally driver and a hardcore Thomian oarsman. In addition, his grandfather Asoka Mahadiulwewa, was a boxer of no mean repute. He too was a gold medalist who represented Trinity College in the 1940s, who was a great inspiration for young Yasidu to continue boxing at the highest level, who will no doubt be a promising
candidate for Sri Lanka if guided in the right direction.
“Firstly I should thank the coaches – Mr. Asanka Rajapakshe and Mr. Senuk Himanjith -- for the invaluable advice and encouragement given and also his Master-in-Charge, Mr. Lakshman Soysa and my team mates, Anuk, Daniel, Akein, Malitha, Kithmin and Savindra, who gave all the support to achieve the highest pinnacle in school’s boxing career within these two years. I believe that hard work pays off and will continue to pursue more achievements with commitment,” the aspiring pugilist said.