Sri Lanka - Tanzania Dual Boxing

Sri Lanka - Tanzania Dual Boxing

Sri Lankan pugilists face acid test against Tanzania today

By M. Shamil Amit
The Sri Lankan pugilists having faced lesser opposition in their previous two international boxing meets held in Sri Lanka will be facing an acid test today when they meet a strong contingent from Tanzania starting from 6.00 p.m. at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium.

The Tanzanian boxers arrived yesterday morning accompanied by Shabaan Mintanga Konda the President of the Tanzanian Boxing Federation and team manager Kahena Mziray. The team was hard at practice at the Trans Asia Hotel where they are based with the manager saying: “We are confident and we promise to give a good fight.” The strong contingent was sans their silver medallist and one of their bronze medallists at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, who are indisposed and were unable to make the trip.

At a press briefing held at the Trans Asia Hotel the President of the ABA, Dian Gomes stated that it was an honour to have a boxing team coming from an African country. ‘An exposure with an international team of this nature and the dual meet concept has been a successful way of achieving this. Meets of this kind will encourage even the aspirant boxers from the outstations where there is a lot of hidden talent,” stressed Gomes.

The second meet between the Tanzanians and Sri Lanka will take place on Monday (September 10) at the Trans Asia Hotel, the first time that a meet of this nature is taking place in a five-star hotel.

In conclusion he stressed, “I have no doubt that this meet is going to be a good opportunity for newcomers and this meet will stand in good stead for the World Boxing Championships in Illinois, Chicago, looming near. This will also, no doubt, be a primary step in Sri Lanka’s quest for honours at the Beijing Olympics next year”.

The Tanzanian manager who was impressed with the preparations for the meet, extended an invitation to the ABA President to send pugilists for a six nation boxing championships comprising Tanzania, Scotland, France, Uganda, Spain and Sri Lanka due to be held in December this year.