The story of Inthugathevi Kanesh is a truly special and remarkable one. She is a female boxer from Puthiyanagar in the Mullaitivu District of Sri Lanka. Not only is it rare for women to pursue boxing, but she also faced many hardships growing up without a father and from very humble beginnings.
However, Inthugathevi did not give up and through relentless determination and hard work, she has won many accolades such as the gold medal and best boxer award at the BASL Men & Women Junior National Boxer Championships 2019, the bronze medal at the XLV National Sports Festival 2019 and the silver medal at the 94th BASL Men & Women National Boxing Championships 2019 to name just a few.
Her talent did not go unnoticed and our Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre coordinators in the North of Sri Lanka identified her as a rising star, brimming with potential but unable to access the required facilities to truly excel. The Foundation of Goodness then awarded her a sports scholarship in order to support her while she trains. This enabled her to afford boxing equipment and nutritional supplements essential for a professional boxer.
Thanks to the kind support of Pratheepan Balasubramanium (introduced by our key stakeholders, the OYOB Property Group) and friends from Australia, Inthugathevi was able to progress immensely in the run up to the French Savate Kickboxing Tournament in Pakistan, where she represented Sri Lanka and went on to win gold in the Under 25 48kg – 52kg weight category.
The talent in rural Sri Lanka never fails to amaze us and nothing makes us happier than when our beneficiaries succeed. We wish the very best for her future endeavors.