… Defending champions into several finals 

GUYANA’S female boxing prodigy Alesha Jackman proved her dominance once again with an emphatic win over home boxer Sharika Elias in her opening fight (a semi-final clash) of the 2019 Caribbean Boxing Championships.   

Junior boxer Richard Howard and Elite boxer Daren France, however, lost their bouts, which resulted in Team Guyana suffering mixed fortunes in Trinidad on Friday evening.

According to one of the Guyanese coaches, Sebert Blake, both male boxers’ defeats were “controversial, more so with the Howard fight”.

President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Steve Ninvalle added that the Howard decision was very one-sided. 

“Richard Howard lost … we protested that fight as it was the most blatant robbery ever seen. I had to lodge US$1000 in order for the protest to proceed … if we lose the protest the money gone.”  

The fight was being reviewed up to press time. 

Howard lost to Trinidadian Nyrell Hosein in a youth bantamweight clash, while France (who had won the triple championships (Novice, Intermediate and Open) in 2019, was beaten by Grenadian Dariel Sylvester in a heavyweight clash (91kg).

Jackman, on the other hand, who fought in the last clash, was able to stop the home team’s boxer in a Youth Women’s Novices 64kg battle. 

Alesha, who had been forced to fight her older sister Abiola in exhibition clashes of recent at home, did not rush into battle. In fact, she displayed a maturity by analysing her opponent and using her feet well to get in and out of Elias’s space. 

Even with her unusual tentative approach, the fight lasted only 1:53s into the first round.  The Trinidadian had wrapped the Guyanese up by the head and when the referee separated them, Alesha complained about it. As soon as they were allowed to fight again, the Guyanese unleashed a staggering left hook that rocked the home team girl – this forced the referee to administer a standing eight count. 

Although Elias was allowed to continue, she was hurt – two additional left hooks right after ended the fight. 

FINALS
Despite the controversial defeats on both nights (Guyana also protested against the Desmond Amsterdam defeat on Thursday evening), the defending champions have made their way into several finals. 

Both Alesha and Abiola were scheduled to fight in the final of their respective divisions last night, while Kevin Hunte was scheduled to compete in a semi-final clash in the super heavyweight contest. 

Meanwhile, Caribbean bantamweight champion Keevin ‘Lightning’ Allicock and former middleweight silver medallist Dennis Thomas, along with Mark Crawford (youth lightweight), Jullius Kesney and Emmanuel Pompey are scheduled to fight tonight in the final of their respective events.