Sri Lankan Boxing Champion Bandula Rathnapala Guides Young Talent at New Jersey Boxing Club – By BY DIRK TISSERA

Sri Lankan Boxing Champion Bandula Rathnapala Guides Young Talent at New Jersey Boxing Club – By BY DIRK TISSERA

Source : Dirk Tissera’s FB post

The standard of amateur boxing in Ceylon in the early 1960s and throughout the 1970s was at an all-time high. Trinity and Royal were considered the elite in the Sweet Science with St. Sylvester’s, Zahira, St, Mathews, St. Michaels, Carey and St. Mary’s College Dehiwela deemed ‘poor boys’ or so they thought!

The Marians in particular had an axe to grind with the Royalists, whenever they squared off in the ring. That was an era when no quarter was asked and none given. The fighting was squeaky clean sans head gear as some of the greatest schoolboy boxers emerged. The Stubbs Shield was the premier and most sought after championship in the island then.

More on that later … Today we turn the spotlight on a former Marian champion boxer of that great bygone era. Enter Bandula Rathnapala, a man who eats and breathes the sport. I had the opportunity of having him as coach in my corner when I fought in the 1975 and 1976 Stubbs Shield meets.

ARRIVED IN BROOKLYN

Having represented St. Mary’s in the late 1960s and very early 1970s, Rathnapala went on to clinch most of his fights with consummate ease. A stickler for hard training Rathnapala worked his way through the school meets before representing the Navy and winning a plethora of ABA boxing championships – namely: the Clifford and Layton Cups and Nationals.

After his stint with the Navy and later Fisheries Corporation, Rathnapala in 1989 decided to pack his bags and move to greener pastures. He arrived alone and found employment at a baby clothing factory in Brooklyn, New York. Rathnapala came up the hard way in life back in Sri Lanka. All his years as a youngster in boxing had now paid off and there was no looking back.

In 1997 his wife Thushari and children Dilan, Tharinga and Biaun finally arrived in New York. Rathnapala had now found his feet…but his desire and love for boxing, kept driving him to bigger things. “Seek and you shall find,” is his motto and he sticks by it.

Having decided to move to Passaic, New Jersey, Rathnapala bumped into police detective Mark Whitling who is a boxing enthusiast involved at the Passaic Athletic Boxing Cub. “Mark encouraged me to go and obtain my US boxing coaching license.” “It took a while to get my permit but the wait was worth its weight in gold,” he told The Sri Lankan ANCHORMAN from his home in New Jersey.

This year in July 2015, Rathnapala bought over the Passaic Athletic Club and turned it into his own gym, naming it the Jersey Boy Boxing Club. Rathnapala’s idea is to get bad boys off the street and on the road to success. “We mentor the kids from ages 10 and up. At present we have Dominicans, Mexicans, Palestinians and Puerto Ricans who train at my gym. They number about 45 in all.”

Rathnapala is the only Sri Lankan coach with an U.S. boxing license, an achievement which he has reason to be proud of.

Rathnapala (59) aims to set up a camp in Sri Lanka and with the help of promoter Dian Gomes, bring some teenagers over to the U.S. “Talks are still underway,” he said. “My wish is to see boxing reach a pinnacle in Sri Lanka, like Olympic level. Nothing is impossible.”

Jersey Boy Boxing Club is a non-profit organization…but Rathnapala’s chest puffs when he says with pride: Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia 26 represents us. He is the president of my club. Tapia is an American professional boxer in the light middleweight class. He turned pro in December 2008. Tapia was born and raised in Passaic, New Jersey to Dominican immigrants from Santo Domingo. Also in his corner is 18-year-old pro fighter Angel Britto (winner of 26 fights and two loses).

This year two of Rathnapala’s boxers won the Golden and Diamond Gloves championships in great style. “My dream is to see my amateurs turn professional and fight at Madison Square Garden one day.” To me this is the Mecca of boxing. I hit the bag every day…I need to lead by example,” he says.

Although Rathnapala is head coach at his gym, George Martinez, James Mosone and Adrian Abdul also help out with the coaching.

Philippine superstar, Manny Pacquiao is expected to visit Jersey Boxing Club in a few months to impart his knowledge to the kids. “That should be an exciting day for the boys,” Rathnapala said.

Rathnapala never forgets his humble beginnings and his school St. Mary’s College Dehiwela. “We used to train under the Flamboyant (Mara tree). “I cannot forget how we ate Dosa during our training days and between meets. I will always remember my seniors and team mates: Bernard De Zilva, Douglas Pereira, late Godfrey Van Heer, Chavo De Kauwe, Adrian and Rodney Van Heer, Elsworth Felsianes, Milroy Byrde, Andre Vanderwert, Wendell Mack, Sandy Kellar, Millon De Kauwe, Andrew and Paul Daniel, Lucien Jansz, Bunty Van Cuylenburg to name just a few and my coaches Joe Rodrigo, Barney Joseph and Rifaideen.”

eLanka Disclaimer

Content published on eLanka may be created by the eLanka team, submitted by contributors or third parties, reproduced or adapted from other sources with appropriate source acknowledgement, or provided as promotional/advertising material by our clients. While eLanka takes reasonable care in preparing and publishing content, we do not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Views expressed are those of the respective authors or contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of eLanka. Third-party contributors, content providers and advertisers are responsible for the accuracy of material they supply and for ensuring they hold the necessary rights and permissions for its publication. Advertising and promotional content should not be regarded as an endorsement by eLanka of any product, service or claim.