Old boys overseas join hands with local hopefuls St. Mary's boxing to be revived

St. Mary's College, Dehiwela, once a proud nursery of boxing talent, is set to reawaken its pugilistic tradition thanks to determined band of old boys led by Bandula Ratnapala, Sri Lanka's only professional boxing coach based in the USA and the Dubaia-based Dunstan Rozario.

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Together with committed support from both local and overseas alumni, efforts are underway to bring the sport back to the ring at St. Mary's.

The initiative is backed strongly by the Old Boys' Association under the leadership of its president Angelo Jesudasan with unwavering encouragement from stalwarts such as Pressana Perera, Wasantha Perera, and Dunstan Rozario. The College principal has also pledged his full support to restore boxing, recognising the role it plays in shaping discipline, courage, and opportunity for students.

Adding further weight to the campaign are overseas boxers and old boys including Milan De Kauwe, Collin Perera and Glaston Van Heer from Australia along with Kevin White from the USA, who have pledged to join hands with the school to ensure boxing regains its rightful place in the sporting culture of the Marians.

Ratnapala, who has spent over two decades coaching in the USA, is preparing his own fighters for a busy November fight calendar while working tirelessly behind the scenes to inspire a new chapter of boxing in Sri Lanka.

"We have the upcoming fights in November, so my fighters are training.

We also have very good amateurs and I'm planning to do a couple of amateur fights here in the USA to raise funds for the college," Ratnapala explained.