
SRI LANKA PRESIDENT WELCOMES FIRST WORLD BOXING TITLE FIGHTS IN COLOMBO
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 10 Dec 2015

President Sirisena.
Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena has welcomed the female world title fight involving Japan?s 46 year old champion Nao Ikeyama vs Filipinpo challenger Jujeath Nagaowa in the capital of Colombo on December 19.
Ikeyama who has a record of 16-3-1 with 4 knockouts will defend her Atom division title against Nagaowa who has a record of 13-15-1 with 8 knockouts.
In welcoming the WBO title fight, President Sirisena said the fights taking place for the first time in Sri Lanka is ?deepening the mutual relationship between Japan and Sri Lanka, further.
He said the proposal for establishing a boxing commission and a professional boxing association in Sri Lanka ?is also seen as a big contribution to the sport of boxing in recognizing it as a safer and popular sport in our country.?
President Sirisena expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the organizers of the event. The Global Sports Academy, the trainer of world boxing champions Mr. Hirayama for their commitment to promote boxing and hope their efforts will strengthen the mutual relationship between our countries.?
Nagaowa won the World International Boxing Association International light flyweight title with a unanimous ten round
decision over Yu Jie Luo last June 6 after a string of four successive defeats.
Ikeyama is coming off a ten round unanimous decision over Norj Guro, a southpaw from Lanao province in Mindanao last February 28.
WBO Asia Pacific head Leon Panoncillo told the New Standard/boxingmirror.com that there will also be an eight round pro bout between Tamao Ozawa of Japan and Kledpetch Lookmuangkan of Thailand while the first bout will feature Sri Lanka Olympic Boxers under the aegis of AIBA.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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