Back to Back! GDF retains National Novices Boxing Championships

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) gym successfully defended its Andrew Lewis National Novice title when the tournament fittingly concluded at the Andrew “Six Head’ Lewis Gym yesterday afternoon.
GDF ended on 22 points, way ahead of closest challenger the Republican Gym which secured four points. Vergenoogen Gym (Formerly Essequibo) was third with two points. The tournament, originally scheduled for three days at the National Gymnasium, was forced into its fourth day after a power outage plunged the arena and Georgetown into darkness late Thursday night.
With three of 12 fights left, the executive of the Guyana Boxing Association met and decided that the remaining events would take place the following day at the Andrew Lewis Gym. “We had no information about when lights would return. In the interest of all a decision was made to postpone for the following day,” GBA president told Guyana Times.

GDF light welterweight Kevin McKenzie was voted Best Boxer (Elite) while Keevin Allicock of Forgotten Youth Foundation gym was adjudged Best Boxer (Youth).
Thursday night, originally billed to be the final night of the competition was action packed and, Allicock and Republican Elton Calistro traded blows over three rounds to begin the night’s proceedings.
In what was a closely contested 56Kg Youth fight but Allicock’s experience shone through in the end allowing him to edge his opponent via points.
Christopher Moore of Vergenoegen Boxing Gym (VBG) defeated his fellow gym member Deshon Elcock on points when they clashed in their 60Kg Youth bout.
The first knockout of the night came through GDF’s Akiemo Watts who stopped Republican Darmendra Shewpersaud in the first round of their Elite 49Kg encounter.
Republican Ewart Corbis was defeated by to a GDF boxer Delroy Murphy via points in the 52 Kg category.
There was a walkover when Republican Trevor Williams failed to appear for his fight, the win being awarded to VBG’s Kelvin Moore.
Delroy Fordyce completely dominated his fellow GDF teammate Delroy Leacock in their 60Kg clash to win via unanimous decisions from the judges’ cards.
In another GDF vs GDF matchup in the 64Kg Kevin McKenzie overcame Delon Garraway’s early barrage to win on points.
In a crowd pleasing affair and arguably the fight of the tournament GDF’s Tony Gillis lost out on points to Republican Jamal Leitch. Fight fans were treated to a slug fest which ended with Leitch winning on points in the 69 Kg affair. .
Moving over into what would be the final fight of the night before the power outage, GDF fighter Okiemo Baker knocked out Torin Adams in the 75Kg bout.
When action resumed at the Andrew “Six-Head” Lewis gym on Friday evening there was a walkover when Republican fighter Germain Williams failed to show up for his match in the 91Kg weight class against GDF’s Aubrey Headley.
However in the remaining matches, Joel Peters of GDF delivered some mighty blows to Jamal Williams, also of GDF causing the referee to stop the contest in the opening minute of the third round of their 81Kg clash.
In the final match of the tournament, Anthonio Williams won on points after going pound for pound with fellow GDF fighter Emerson Farley.
The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) will next be hosting the Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate Boxing tournament in September which will be followed by the Terrence Alli National Open in November.
This tournament will be used to determine who gets the right to represent the Land of Many Waters at the third Caribbean Development Competition in St Lucia during December.