Boxing icon Douglas Pereira is no more. By Trevine Rodrigo in Melbourne
It is with deep regret I was informed about the passing of former Sri Lanka boxer Douglas Pereira.
Douggie as he was fondly known to all, was a cheerful larrikin and a lovable soul.
He didn’t have a bad bone in his body and was always a pleasure to be around.
My former classmate and Rugby captain at St. Mary’s College Dehiwala, his talent in the boxing ring was legendary.
He was a member of St. Mary’s Stubbs Shield team that won a triple crown in the early 1970s in an era, where the boys from Dehiwala dominated the ring for around a decade or more.
Douggie carried away several trophies during his time in the ring and added to his highlights by being selected to the Sri Lanka team to the Asian Championships in Thailand alongside another classmate Chavo de Kauwe, the latter, who claimed a Silver medal for the country in a photo finish for Gold.
Outside his exploits in the ring, Douggie was a reasonable Rugby player at St. Mary’s before joining the Sri Lanka Air Force and continuing his talent in both sports.
Since migrating to Australia, Douglas Pereira chose to live a life away from the limelight unlike his days in Sri Lanka where he was well known and respected as a leading sportsman.
I always enjoyed catching up with him and we share special memories of our lives as young men.
Douggie was ill for a long period before he left us.
The Marian family in Australia and around the world, including his school in Sri Lanka, mourn his passing.
Our condolences go out to his wife Ingrid, and his families.
May his soul rest in God’s loving care.
