International wins leave Alesha Jackman hungry for success

By Jemima Holmes

Sport is often considered a man’s world, and in the discipline of boxing, the ring is dominated by male competitors, with the occasional woman or two carving out a path for themselves.
As the Tom Jones song goes, this world “would be nothing without a woman or a girl”.
In times past, Guyanese fans marvelled at the sight of Gwendolyn “Stealth Bomber” O’Neil, Guyana’s most successful female boxer, dominating the opposition in a boxing match. While O’Neil had travelled to USA, Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria and South Africa (just to mention a few venues) for fights, what had most fascinated some who had witnessed her in action was to see a Guyanese female so dominant and successful in this combative sport.
O’Neil still holds the distinction of being the only Guyanese woman to win a WIBA title, the consequence of a 10-round unanimous decision earned in a light-heavyweight boxing match staged at the National Park back in 2004.
O’Neil has left a legacy that only highly skilled and very courageous young women would hope to emulate in years to come. Her achievement had been a watershed moment for Guyana, but many are now wondering when again would Guyana see a talent like hers emerging.
A little over two years ago, an enthusiastic 12-year-old female emerged on the scene with an eagerness to learn all that she could about boxing. Now 15 years old, that female, Alesha Jackman, in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport, revealed what enticed her to get involved in the combative sport of boxing.

“I have a small cousin that boxes, and before I wrote Common Entrance, he had a fight at the Gymnasium and the coach was by us…I told the coach that I want to box when I finished Common Entrance; and as soon as I finished the exam, he said, ‘Okay’.
“To me, I like everything about the sport; because, ever since I was growing up as a young girl, I always liked to fight and stuff like that,” the young pugilist shared.
More often than not, sports like boxing and martial arts are casually associated with the ability to fight outside of competition. Because of this, Jackman has found herself in situations where her peers would show her respect because of her passion for, and participation in, boxing.
According to the New Central High School student, however, her intention has never been to intimidate anyone.
“The males…were like, ‘I don’t want to fight this girl, she will beat me up,’ and stuff like that; but I never saw it like that, fighting among friends you know. And the females, even if I want something from them, they would feel like I’m bullying them, but I’m not bullying them. They always gave me the request, and stuff like that,” she shared.

Aside from the respect, another perk of the sport is being given opportunities to broaden one’s horizons outside of Guyana. After winning “best female boxer” accolades at the School Boys and Juniors Tournament last year, Jackman also earned gold at the Caribbean Championships held in Trinidad and Tobago last December, but her hitherto golden moment was yet to come.
Although she has been in the sport for such a short time, the pugilist from the Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) Gym shared that her best moment in boxing came earlier this year, at the Ronald Wilson Memorial Tournament in Barbados.
“My best achievement was in February in Barbados. That fight meant a lot to me because it was the first time I (had) fought someone (from) out of the region. Most of the fights I had were (with) people in the Caribbean; so that was definitely my best.” Jackman revealed.
The teenager went on to share her mindset as she took on the Canadian Chloe Jenkins in that lightweight encounter, which she won by way of unanimous decision.
“Firstly, in the first round, — she was a good fighter, too — something told me (to) give up this fight, and I looked at my coach and was like, ‘No man, I can’t give up this fight; I got my coach, my friends and my family watching.’ So, I just had to do what I had to do, and I got a better chance over her, and I thank God for that,” the teenager said.
Probed about what she took away from that valuable experience in Barbados, Jackman shared that the work ethic and practices of a particular boxer, Sophie Culbourne, impressed her very much.
“I saw a girl fighting in the same weight class as my sister, and it was like when you see someone fighting and you’re amazed. It’s like she had everything a boxer needs, and I learnt a lot from her; and when gym opens, I’ll try,” Jackman shared.
With the intention to be classified among the best female boxers in Guyana in years to come, Jackman condensed the plans she has for her future in the sport.
“Going to the CARIFTA Games; the Olympics; attending more Caribbean championships, and getting better exposure,” she stated.

When local bouts are staged by the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), one might hear of a fight pitting Alesha Jackman against Abiola Jackman. Alesha spoke about the relationship she shares with her sister in and out of the ring.
“Having a sibling in the sport is nice, sometimes it’s tough. When we have to fight against each other, we don’t always keep the composure and most people don’t believe we’re sisters, because we fight hard against one another. But at the end of the day, she’s my sister and I love her.”
As with many successful athletes, the teenager has a list of persons who are always in her corner with words of encouragement.
“Firstly, God is my biggest supporter; (then) my family, especially my uncle, sister and grandmother; the President of the GBA, Mr. Ninvalle; My coach, Sebert Blake; Mona and Monty Proffitt; my Pastor and his wife, Denise and Simon Harris. Special thanks to Ramnaresh Sarwan; the Director of Sport, Christopher Jones; Paula Daniels from Action Gear Plus; Coach Murray; Kiana Europe; my gym mates Shemar Halley and Keevin Allicock, who (are) always two of my biggest supporters; and the people in my area, who are always wishing me good luck and stuff like that,” Jackman detailed.
With the right work ethic coupled with a great coach, there is no doubt that Alesha Jackman can emulate or even surpass the achievements of the great Gwendolyn O’Neil. One thing for certain is that this teenager holds a wealth of boxing talent, and this is only the beginning of her journey to greatness.