Sumith Liyanage - deft footwork and fists of fury

Sharm de Alwis

I give you a pen portrait of a remarkable man who rose from SI to DIG and in the process performed with exceptional skill in the Boxing rings here, Olympics and off the ring when he floored with a straight left and an upper-cut a gang leader of a Maligawatte gambling den who came at him with a crowbar.

Boxing has been rejuvenated today with the imputs brought into it by Dion Gomes who has brought in foreign coaches from Cuba and International rings and boxing gear to be made available to the elite boxers as well as those at grass-root level in schools.

Vice President

Sumith Liyanage has been Vice President of the Boxing Association and Manager of several Boxing Teams that ventured abroad. But before that was the action.

He was in the junior boxing squads of Ananda College when he first fought in the Stubbs Shield Meets which originated way back in 1914. Sumith won his weight in 1952 and ‘53 and in mid-stream of his studies, switched horses and joined Nalanda to continue his winning streak at the Stubbs of ‘55, ‘56 and ‘57.

Intermediates

Graduating to the ABA Junior Championships and the Intermediates, he continued to win his weight and the first National Title was his whilst he was yet a schoolboy when he annexed the Featherweight title and proceeded to represent the country at the SE Asian Championships.

That fine scribe with a prodigious memory, Epasara who was also a classmate of Sumith’s has lavished lathered praise on Sumith and has also written on how Sumith, an SI, lost to constable Mahagedera at the Clifford Cup Meet but just two weeks later at the Indo-Pakistan-Ceylon Meet at the Bambalapitiya stadium, his deft footwork and fists of fury were too much for Mahagedera to withstand.

Exquisite ringcraft

Unlike today’s toe-to-toe slugging because points are given for connected punches, boxers of Sumith’s period displayed exquisite ringcraft.

Their movements were like ballet and were a treat to watch. Some boxers of graceful movement were Michael Bulner, Errol Seneviratne, Kingsley Moonamalle, Rajah Sumanasekera, Earnie Boustead, Mahasen Weliwitigoda and the real McCoy, Leslie Handunge who was, pound for pound, the best boxer we have had.

Sumith Liyanage complemented footwork and ringcraft with a murderous punch akin to the explosive fists of C.P.Jayasuriya.

Champions

Sumith was coached by D.C.A.Wickramasinghe of the Sinha Amateur Boxing Club who produced a wealth of champions and whose credo was, ‘box a fighter, fight a boxer’.

In those halcyon days when Boxing meets drew full houses, there was a plethora of splendid coaches like Henry Young of the Straight Left Boxing Club, Danton Obeysekera of the YMCA.

At grassroot level of school Derek Raymond of St Sylvester’s, Jayaweera of Trinity, ‘Boxer’ Dassanaiake of STC and the Obeysekeras of Royal prepared boys to be capable boxers. Donald Perera of Christian College and a host of other worthies coached in smaller schools who did exceptionally well at the Stubbs Meets. Even Watapituwela Boys’ Home produced several National champs.

Olympic contingent

When Sumith captained the Olympic contingent to Rome in 1960, his brother Jay was also in the team as a flyweight contender.

That was the Olympics in which Cassius Clay won his Gold medal but threw it in the Mississipi when he was not allowed into a ‘whites only’ section of a restaurant.

Sumith lost to the European champion, Jersey Adamski who beat the count when he was floored and went on to win the Silver medal.

Passion

Although Boxing was Sumith’s passion, he dabbled in other sports too.

As an opening bowler for Nalanda he has had three 5 wicket hauls - against Prince of Wales, St Peter’s and Zahira.

He has won the Silver medal at the 2007 World Police and Fire Games in Adelaide, vying with competitors from 48 countries, including SWAT of the USA. As the Secretary of the Police Small Arms Club in the 70s, Sumith played a significant role in the introduction of Practical Pistol Shooting to the Service as well as the country.

Retired from the Police Force with the rank of DIG, Sumith now lives a laid-bak life devoting his time and affection to wife and extended family.