A village girl who knew nothing about boxing until the age of 18 has redirected and resurrected the sport at Air Force as she carried away the prize for the most scientific boxer at the 96th National Boxing Championships that was worked off at the Royal MAS Arena.
In the process Ishara Perera, a fisherman’s daughter from down south, inspired her women’s team at the Air Force to end up as the best women’s team at the Nationals surpassing other women from the Army.
Fighting in the feather weight under-57 kgs category, Leading Aircraftswoman Ishara Perera outsmarted all her opponents and was in the ring after a near five year absence that made her a mother of a three-year old daughter.
Ishara discovered her potential as a pugilist in 2014 when she joined apparel producer Unichela as a garment factory worker and the rest is now history.
“I remember boxing coach Rohan Dangalle was looking for girls who can box and I was encouraged by that and I was told I had height as an advantage from among the girls”, recalled Ishara.
In next to no time Ishara was in the ring taking on fighters and looked a mere novice among the hardcore women. But to everyone’s surprise except her coach, Ishara won the gold medal at the Junior Nationals in the fly weight under 51 kgs category and since that day she never looked back.
She went on to savour success in the following year winning a Silver medal in the Clifford Cup boxing meet, a show that is not for the faint-hearted
It was then that Air Force grabbed her as their role model in 2016 and more laurels came her way when she was the Best Loser at the hardcore Defense Services meet as she bagged a Silver medal only to be followed by more trophies for Best Boxer at the National Sports Festival, Clifford Cup and the Nationals in addition to winning the Layton Cup.
“Becoming Best Boxer at the National Sports Festival inspired me to do the same at the Nationals and my dream came through”, said Ishara unable to hide her justified feelings.
More than 150 men and women boxers were in the ring at the Nationals that was worked off last week representing some 20 entities and the champion Air Force women won five gold medals in addition to a Silver and a Bronze ahead of Army and Police.
