Anusha wins Bronze in Boxing

Commonwealth Games 2018

By Shamseer Jaleel

Veteran boxer Anusha Kodithuwakku won the Bronze medal in Boxing yesterday (10 April), at the Commonwealth Games 2018, Gold Coast, Australia. She was defeated by India’s Mary Kom in the semi-final of the 45-48 kg event.Kom, a five-time World Amateur Boxing Champion and Olympic Bronze medalist from 2012, will now move onto the finals to fight Kristina O’Hara of Northern Ireland for the Gold, while Sri Lanka’s Anusha takes the Bronze, along with Tasmyn Benny of New Zealand.Anusha is the only female boxer to win a medal. Sri Lanka’s last Commonwealth Games Boxing medal was a silver won by Albert Perera at the 1950 Commonwealth Games (then known as the British Empire Games), held in Auckland, New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Thiwanka Ranasinghe will battle it out with England’s Galal Yafai in the Men’s Boxing semi-final (46-49 kg) on 13  April at Oxenso Studio in the Gold Coast, while Vidanalange Bandara will meet Gaurav Solanki of India in the 52 kg semi-final.

In Table Tennis, Sri Lanka’s Hasani Ranasinghe lost to Javen Choong of Malaysia, while Madurangi Sirisena lost to Tanzania’s Masoud Matlazo, and Sri Lanka lost the mixed doubles to Kenya 3/2. All eliminated competitors will return to the island in the coming days.