DIG Jayakumar Thangavelu - a much feared boxer

Sporting personalities with Ken de Joodt:

SPORTING PERSONALITIES: As an expert administrator of Human Rights and presently the Deputy Inspector General, Police Legal Range, DIG Jayakumar Thangavelu LL.B; has a wide 'range' of experience as a successful Criminal Investigator, apart from being a 'forceful' participant in implementing better policing of Human Rights in Sri Lanka.

In fact, this exemplary personality has been built, strengthened and governed to face the challenges in life, 'largely' based on a 'sport' - Boxing, that gave him the confidence and courage to handle matters himself and provided him with a 'fine-art' of self-defence!

Together with his high "I.Q." (Intelligent Quotient) and through his involvement in a 'self-dependant' sport (Boxing), he had no fear or hesitation in joining the 'Defence Services'!

As a leading Olympic Games Sports Physician once said "a Boxing match is like running a Marathon and playing a game of Chess at the finishing line!" - it simply means, you have to be able to THINK when you are more tired, than you have ever been in your life!!

Another said, that Boxing should also be encouraged as a 'Fitness sport as it gives a total 'body-workout and aces as a great cardiovascular range of motion' and muscle-toning exercise. It is said that activity in Boxing helps improve 'proprioception' (sense of position) and prevents falls (sense of balance).

Since Boxing requires absolute concentration and focus, it could also improve memory, co-ordination and reflexes but it must be practised under correct supervision, to build up a complete set of physical skills, power, stamina, that only Boxing demands.

D.I.G. - Jayakumar Thangavelu was no mean Boxer in his youthful, active chooldays at S. Thomas' College Mount Lavinia, between 1955 and '63.

He commended his Boxing at the age of 14 years and Captained the college team at the age of 15 years, fighting in the Welter Weight - under 100 pounds.

It happened when Garvin Koch dropped out as Captain, just two weeks before the all important Inter-School 'Stubbs Shield' Boxing Meet - due to a fracture of his hand, whilst playing Rugby. This gave him a 'jump start' while at college, which helped him to a 'Star-studded' Boxing career, in the years that followed.

Born in December 1947, Jayakumar had his entire education at 'STC' and covered himself with glory while boxing in three different 'Weights' - under 70, 80 and 100 pounds, in 1961. '62 and '63 respectively.

He also represented the Sri Lanka Schools' Boxing against India in those three years. On leaving college he was keen on joining the Armed Services and to 'sport' on a uniform that would be respected - so he decided to join the Police Force!

Needless to say, he won the Police 'Best Boxer's' Title in the Inter-Divisional Boxing meets many times and went on to claim the National Boxing Titles on four occasions. 'Thanga' was much feared as a Boxer!

As an interesting anecdote, he related how he won the Best Boxer's Cup at the age of 35 years, in the Inter-Divisional Meet in 1983. He was Coach of the CID Boxing Team at the time and in order to participate in the meet. They required six Boxers but there wee only five.

'Thanga' decided that he would fill that place and took immediate steps to reduce his weight from 202 pounds to 168 pounds within months!

Amazingly, the CID Team won the "Dowbiggin Cup" for the first time ever and 'Thanga' carried away the Best Boxer's Title, adding 'weight' to make the difference, by winning his weight class!

From 1989 to '94 he coached the Police team, which comprised of young Police Officers from the outstations who were inexperienced and had to be taught the basics of Boxing.

It was an awesome task of coaching and training-up potential Boxers and the rewards in 1993 when the police team were runners-up at the National Meet.

By 1993, he was appointed Treasurer of the Sri Lanka Amateur Boxing Association (SLABA) but decided to quit the 'post' due to personal reasons.

His disciplines and disagreements were disliked but "Thanga" 'boxed-on' to give the 'opposition' some solid 'uppercuts' and 'TKO's' (technical knock-outs), before quitting the 'ring of offence'!!

In 2001, he was appointed President of the SLABA and one of the first rulings administered by him was that other than the Coaches and actual Boxers, no other officials would travel on the Boxing Association Funds.

In fact only a Coach Assistant Coach and the Bovers were funded by ABA to participate at the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester England, in 2002.

Apart from his dedicated Coaching, he took up to Refereeing in 1989 and later became a Judge of the Asian Continent from 1998, as a Member of the Amateur International Boxing Association.

From around 2000 members that make-up the full complement of the International Boxing Jury, DIG Jayakumar Thangavelu was also appointed a Member of the Jury.

This year, he was requested to participate as a Judge at the South Asian Games, held in Colombo and was first required to qualify, by passing an Examination (which cost the equivalent of US $ 100/-), which he did successfully!

However, he soon found out that some of the Judges 'pulled' towards a 'certain country' and in disgust he 'threw in the gloves' and indicated to the Authorities that he will not be a part of this ignominy.

Even the spectators noticed the Electronic Scoreboard revealing incorrect figures, which irked them to become hostile!

Ironically, it was in favour of the other country and was not the true position! Amidst the 'flurry of punches' he walked out and demanded a refund of his Examination fee, saying that it was 'a disgrace' and preferred to 'save the cost' and maintain his integrity and dignity as Judge, which he considered far more valuable!

In the end, potential Sri Lankan 'winners' were converted into 'defeated Boxers' through unfair judging.

DIG Jayakumar Thangavelu has now served 37 loyal years in the Police - and during his tenure in the Criminal Investigation Department, he has investigated all types of serious crimes both locally and internationally and was awarded a Special Certificate from the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong, on the 13th of January 2006.

When he addressed a gathering of Senior Police Personnel on "Investigation Techniques to minimize Violation of Human Rights" conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) last year, he opened with an appropriate quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, who said "we shall have to repent in this generation, not so much for the evil deeds of the wicked people BUT for the appalling silene of the good people."

Even in sports today, it is often seen how evil deeds and wicked schemes of unfair Administrators are overlooked and go 'untouched' while the affected people are the good who keep quiet!

In tracing the beginnings of Boxing at the start of the twentieth century it was the Armed Forces that encouraged this sport as being a "Man-to-Man" duel, which instilled a fighting spirit and was considered a mode of conquering fear. The first tournaments were conducted by the United Services Boxing Association of Ceylon.

The Governor of Ceylon at the time, Sir Henry Manning presented a sterling silver Trophy which was later called the 'Manning Cup', to inspire competitors to produce more scientific Boxing. In 1913 Boxing was introduced to schools like S. Thomas' College Mount Lavinia, Royal, Trinity, Wesley and St. Anthony's Kandy and the inaugural 'Stubbs Shield' held in 1914 was won by Trinity College Kandy.

To a lanky Police Sub-Inspector, A. W. Barney Henricus lies the great honour and glory of winning the first-ever Boxing Gold Medal (in the Feather Weight) for the country, at the 1938 Empire Games held in Sydney Australia.

In 1942 the ABA introduced the 'Layton Cup' which was won by the Navy Able Seaman K. Edwin, the first Sri Lankan to do so in 1943.

In 1950, K. Edwin and Albert Perera won silver Medals at the Empire Games held in Auckland New Zealand while A. I. Obeysekara won the Bronze Medal. In 1954, Sub-Inspector of Police H. P. Jayasuriya won the Silver Medal at the Asian Games held in Manila Philippines.

In 1967 Sri Lanka hosted the 4th Asian Boxing Championships held in Colombo which had H. K. Karunaratne of the army winning a Gold Medal while H. M. Marzook of St. Michael's Boxing Club won a Bronze Medal.

In addition, over the past years from around the thirties to the sixties were many top class boxers, such as the famous brothers George, Basil and Barney Henricus, Danton and Alex Obeysekara, Jeremy, Jeffery and John Vandendriesen, Malcolm, Michael, Christopher and Noel Bulner, Leslie and Malcolm Marshall, Hans, Winston and Geoffrey Vancuylenberg, H. P. and C. P. Jayasuriya, Kingsley and Lakdasa Moonemalle, the Raymond brothers, Leslie Handunge, Eddie Gray, Sumith Liyanage and host of others.

Leaving the glorious 'past' behind, it is the present era and the future of boxing in Sri Lanka, that is of great concern to all who care. When DIG Thangavelu took over as President of the Amateur Boxing Association in 2001, the focus was on bringing about a revival in a virtually 'lifeless body' of Boxing.

Since then the Boxing Association has been blessed and many improvements have been seen. With Dion Gomes, an ardent boxing promoter, taking over as President of the ABA since 2003, an excellent job has been done to provide better facilities and build-up better Boxers.