Boxing bouts fixed at Nationals

The 98th National Boxing Championships conducted by the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) turned into a complete turmoil following a controversial decision during a key bout held at the Municipal Grounds in Horana.

The Boxing Nationals were thrown into complete disarray after Asian bronze medallist and Olympic prospect Umayanga Mihiran from the Police BC was allegedly handed a 1-4 split decision defeat on points by the biased panel of judges.

The turmoil centers on the BASL and its leadership, accused of systematically manipulating results to favour a select inner circle.

The Boxing Nationals hit a boiling point during the final bout of the day between Sri Lanka’s Olympic hopeful and Asian bronze medallist, Mihiran and Ravindu Kumara, a boxer from a local club.

Mihiran, widely regarded as one of the country’s finest talents, dominated the fight from the opening bell to the end of the third round.

However, the bout was marred by what critics are calling “shameless bias” from the officiating team. Kumara reportedly threw repeated “open glove” punches – a clear foul – which were ignored by the referee.

Furthermore, in moments where Kumara was under heavy assault, he was seen spitting out his gum shield on several occasions to buy time.

Under standard international boxing rules, this warrants point deductions or disqualification, yet no such penalties were issued.

When the judges announced a 4-1 split decision in favour of Kumara, the stadium erupted. The verdict was seen by the audience not as a sporting error but as a calculated move by the “mafia” running the sport.

The judges and referee were handpicked to ensure the BASL official’s allies secured a win, regardless of the action in the ring.

“This is a severe blunder by the panel of judges and I have never seen an ugly incident similar to this on the ring,” a veteran boxing expert told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

“This clearly showed how badly the BASL is running their tournaments and they are simply ruining the career of this promising boxer, who recently won a medal for Sri Lanka after 37 years.”

“These judges and referees are acting on the instructions of the BASL official because if they don’t follow their orders then they will not be considered for the next tournament.”

“The best referees and judges are not invited for these important events because the BASL and their selectors could easily manipulate the bouts according to their own wishes,” the source added.

Coach Januka Indunil who was with Mihiran until 2023, said that this is a deliberate act by the BASL officials to demoralise this talented boxer and to put him down psychologically.

“I think Mihiran has never lost a bout at school-level and he is a technically correct boxer who competes according to international techniques,” Indunil told the Sunday Observer.

This incident has no doubt blown the lid off the simmering discontent regarding the BASL administration, selectors and leadership. With a national Olympic prospect like Mihiran being victimised in broad daylight, the integrity of Sri Lankan boxing hangs by a thread.

Source - Sunday Observer