Sri Lanka participating in AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship 2017

Pix and text by Gitika Talukdar

The International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) Youth Women’s World Boxing Championship, which kicked off in Guwahati on 19 November, is slated to go on until 26 November. 

193 registered boxers from 39 countries are participating for the first time in India.

India, Kazakhstan, China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam are the Asian nations participating in Guwahati.

From Sri Lanka, 17-year-old boxer M. Henayala Gedara Madumali E. Priyadarshini is competing in the 48 kg category and Nimesha Fernando is competing in the 51 kg weight category.

The Coach of the Sri Lankan youth women’s boxing team, R. Mudiyanselage Upali Bandara, said that Priyadarshini and Nimesha were participating in an international match for the first time and he was very confident that they will give their best and end up with medals.

He said if they were able to give their best performance then these girls will qualify for the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2018.

The championship will also mark the beginning of the journey for women boxers to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, he added. Priyadarshini is a student of Pallebewala Madyama Mahavidyalaya and Nimesha Fernando is a student of Kengalla Maha Vidyalaya.