…boxer’s stipend to be withheld
By Jemima Holmes
Caribbean bantamweight champion Keevin Allicock has found himself in hot water after Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) President Steve Ninvalle recommended that his trip to Cuba, for the purpose of training for the Pan Am Games, be put on hold owing to the boxer’s lacklustre behaviour.
In a letter addressed to the President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) K Juman-Yassin, which was viewed by Guyana Times Sport, Ninvalle cited a number of reasons as to why the Cuba training trip should be put on hold. The most significant was that Allicock has missed more than 50 per cent of his local training sessions with Cuban Coach Roland Francisco.
“Upon careful investigation, it was uncovered that Mr Allicock has been delinquent in regards to attending training sessions locally and his attitude towards the task at hand is nothing short of lackadaisical,” the letter stated.
Spanning the period of May 1 to May 23, it alleged that Allicock missed 18 of 30 training sessions scheduled with the Coach. While stating that “less than 50 per cent attendance at training leading up to any competition is unacceptable barring illness”, the GBA came to the conclusion that the boxer was unconcerned with his training and its fear was that the same would happen when he travels to Cuba.
To make matters worse, it was revealed that Allicock was previously warned about his approach to training and yet, the boxer’s training ethic has not improved.
“We had then warned the Caribbean bantamweight champion that his attitude towards training needed to drastically improve. This has not happened and his attendance has gotten worse. In fact, Mr Allicock failed to even attend a medical examination provided by the GOA and offered the excuse of “not feeling well” as the reason for his absence,” Ninvalle wrote.
The GBA President listed the boxer’s weight as another concern, explaining that he came in 6 pounds over the bantamweight restriction (115lb – 120lb) during his last weigh-in. In addition to the Cuba trip being on hold, it was suggested that Allicock’s stipend should also be put on hold until the GBA signals an improvement in his approach to training.
In an invited comment, Ninvalle revealed that the GBA’s approach to the situation would have been the same for any other boxer.
“We want the best for him; that is why we have taken the stand that we did. We know that he can do better and we want him to do better. So, there is no animosity at all as it relates to it; this would have been done for any boxer,” Ninvalle said.
He went on to say that the GBA has the boxer’s best interests at heart and believe that he can succeed once he ‘pulls up his socks’.
“We cannot afford to allow him to slip. We know that he has the potential and that is why we’re doing this. We’re being like good parents and we have to be stern if we want them to be successful.”
The training sessions here and in Cuba are in preparation for Allicock’s appearance at the 2019 Pan-American Games. The Pan Am Games will be hosted in Lima, Peru from July 26 to August 11.
