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02
ANURUDDHA RATNAYAKE |
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Born August 17, 1975 in
Kadugannawa, Ratnayake is the epitome of Sri
Lanka’s boxing revival in the post 2000 era.
A member of the Slimline Boxing Club, Ratnayake
was educated at Peradeniya Central College and
has been a national champion since his school
days. A consistent performer at the SAF Games,
he has won three silver medals at the SAF Games
to date. He was unfortunate to miss out on
medals at the Manchester Commonwealth Games and
the Commonwealth Championships in Malaysia when
he lost to the eventual Gold medalists.
Fighting in the flyweight category, Ratnayake
compensates for his inherent lack of height and
reach by sheer grit, determination and strength
that have seen him overcome considerable odds
during his long tenure within the international
boxing circuit. He returned to the sport after a
two year lay off in September 2007, striking
with immediate success when he knocked out his
Tanzanian opponent at the historic Sri Lanka vs.
Tanzania Dual Championship
held in Colombo. |
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Building on this success, Ratnayake went on to
great heights by qualifying for the Beijing
Olympics in 2008, ranking amongst the top 8 in
the world at the AIBA World Championships held
in Chicago in October 2007. He is the first Sri
Lankan boxer to qualify for the Olympics after a
lapse of 40 years, and is also the first Sri
Lankan pugilist to have gained the right to
compete at the Olympics through the
qualification system. Now a household name and
one of the biggest sporting stars in Sri Lanka,
Anuruddha remains one of the island’s best medal
prospects in Beijing this year.
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