Guyanese boxers batter their way to Caribbean title

     
– Allicock defies hand injury to claim Best Boxer accolade

By Akeem Greene

The Caribbean Boxing Championships title has returned to Guyana following a dominant display of glove work over the four days of  electrifying action at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

While many say finesse and patience always does the trick, Guyanese boxers reminded the audience that sometimes brute force brings the said results after they produce a barraging display to reclaim the title ahead of eight other countries on Sunday evening.

Led by the championships’ best boxer Keevin Allicock, who battled through the excruciating pain of a broken bone in his right-hand, the locals copped 15 medals, inclusive of 10 gold, three silver and two bronze medals. Trinidad and Tobago finished second with 10 medals and Barbados third on eight.

Individually, the sizable and vociferous audience witnessed some enthralling encounters. In the Bantamweight bout, Allicock, who is also commonly called ‘Lightening’, bobbed and landed some lusty blows on Barbados’ Ajayi Jones to win on points in the final.

In the middleweight, Desmond Amsterdam and St. Lucia’s Arthur Langlier produced a thriller.

Amsterdam took control of the first round, inflicting some damaging blows on the St. Lucian, who still would not go down. He bided time and worked his way back into the match, but it was Amsterdam who took the win on points.

The lightweight clash with Guyana’s Jamal Eastman and Trinidad’s Jessie Beckles was another action-packed fist battle, but it only lasted 2:10s into the second round, when Eastman landed a hard straight right to the chin of Beckles and it was light outs by the referee’s count.

Abiola Jackman and a determined Mark Pierre were also some other standout local fighters. Jackman won the award for best female,while Christopher Moore was the best youth and Quincy Boyce, best novice.