After an intense three-week training camp in Russia, Guyanese boxer Keevin Allicock is off to Tokyo for the Olympic Games, beginning Friday (July 23).
Allicock, 22, and AIBA Three-Star coach Sebert Blake left Russia on Monday for Japan where the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist will compete in the 52-57kg class.
Blake, speaking to News Room Sport, said the high-intensity session in Russia was extremely fruitful and Allicock is in a good place heading into the Games.
According to Blake, Allicock was exposed to sparring with several boxers who are ranked in the top 10 of the world in the 52-57kg and 63kg classes.
“So rest assured we were getting real top quality sparring sessions. Keevin has been improving and it’s been happening on a daily basis,” Blake observed.
The coach said the next few weeks is about Allicock making use of the knowledge gained at the camp, and putting that to use at the global Games.
Allicock gained a spot at the Olympics based of his world ranking of 19 and being ranked seventh in the Americas. He is the first Guyanese boxer to qualify for the Olympics in 25 years, following in the footsteps of John Douglas in the 1996 Games.
There is the popular opinion that Allicock is Guyana’s best chance of adding to the lone Olympic medal won by the country when fellow boxer Michael Parris copped a bronze at the 1980 Games in Moscow.
Below is Guyana’s full contingent to the Games:
Garfield Wiltshire- Chef-de-Mission
Angelica Holder- COVID Liaison Officer/Physiotherapist
Deion Nurse- Secretary General
Aliann Pompey- Athlete Representative
Julian Edmonds- Athletics Manager/Coach
Denzel Abrams- Athletics Coach
Idi Lewis- Table Tennis Coach
Sebert Blake- Boxing Coach
Shyka Gonsalves- Swimming Coach
Aliyah Abrams- (Athlete) Women’s 400m
Jasmine Abrams- (Athlete) Women’s 100m
Emanuel Archibald- (Athlete) Men’s 100m
Chelsea Edghill- (Athlete) Women’s Table Tennis
Keevin Allicock- (Athlete) 52-57kg Boxing
Aleka Persaud- (Athlete) 50m Freestyle
Andrew Fowler- (Athlete) 100m Freestyle
