Twenty-one-year-old Guyanese boxing talent Keevin Allicock is experiencing a dream week after gaining some international recognition on the boxing stage.
It was only last week that the Albouystown native was nominated for an International Boxing Association (AIBA) award, and now the Olympic hopeful has broken into the top 20 of the international rankings for his weight class.
Keevin Allicock and GBA President Steve Ninvalle
Allicock has emerged as the only Guyanese boxer to be included in the latest world rankings released by world governing body AIBA. The lightning-quick Allicock is rated 19th in the bantamweight division well ahead of several boxers from China, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Ukraine, and Peru. The achievement breaks Guyana’s world ranking jinx of over a decade. The last Guyanese to hold an AIBA world ranking was Allicock’s brother Dillon. The current World Bantamweight Champion is Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov of Uzbekistan.
Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) President Steve Ninvalle in congratulating Allicock promised that it was only a matter of time before more local boxers emulated the current Caribbean bantamweight champion.
“We are proud of his achievement and our plan and expectation is that others will follow in his footsteps when the doors of boxing are opened again,” Ninvalle said.
Allicock was part of a quartet of Guyanese boxers stranded in Cuba for 126 days. Colin Lewis, Dennis Thomas, Desmond Amsterdam and Allicock travelled to Cuba in January to prepare for the AMBC Olympic Qualifiers which were later cancelled on account of concern about the spread of coronavirus. Following the closure of Guyana’s borders the four were forced to remain in Cuba until last week. Nonetheless, whenever the next Olympic Games are hosted, be it in 2021 or further in the future, Allicock is keen on representing the Golden Arrowhead at that stage.
