St. Sylvester’s Opens Strong

 

St. Sylvester’s Opens Strong

in Stubbs Shield as Vidyarathana Faces Early Setbacks

The 105th Stubbs Shield Championship opened with high anticipation on Thursday, October 31, at the Royal MAS Arena, where P.A. Vibashana of Vidyatharana University College, Horana (VUC) fell in the first round to E.G.P.S. Ranasinghe of Peradeniya Central College.

Organized as part of the All-Island National School Games by the Education Ministry and the Schools Boxing Association, this year’s Stubbs Shield has brought together nearly 500 male and female boxers from 132 schools, vying across 36 weight categories. The event spans six days, culminating in the finals on Tuesday, November 5, with fighters competing in junior (under 16), youth (under 18), and senior (under 20) age divisions.

Day one saw 39 preliminary bouts with thrilling exchanges. In a standout match, Ranasinghe claimed victory over Vibashana, capitalizing on effective right jabs and consistent ring positioning. Although Vibashana demonstrated sharp counterpunching and ring awareness, Ranasinghe’s steady technique earned him a unanimous decision, prevailing despite showing fatigue in the closing round.

Defending champions St. Sylvester’s College of Kandy made an assertive start, as T.M.R.L. Thennakoon outperformed E.G. Jayasooriya of Wesley College in the Youth Boys’ 56kg category. St. Sylvester’s, the reigning All-Island National School champions for three consecutive years, is aiming for their 18th Stubbs Shield victory.

Another standout performance came from M.N. Khalid of Zahira College, Colombo, whose powerful left-hand uppercuts overwhelmed D.G.J.P. Abeyratne of Nugawela Central in the Senior Boys’ 52kg category. Khalid’s intensity forced the referee to halt the bout in the third round, sealing his dominance.

Preliminary rounds are set to continue today, November 1, starting at 11:00 a.m., as schools from across the country battle to move closer to the coveted Stubbs Shield title.

SOURCE: Th Paparenews