GUYANA and the English-speaking Caribbean continued to have a tough time at the AMBC Olympic Boxing Qualifier in Argentina with all the region’s boxers appearing on Sunday coming away with defeats.Heading the list was Guyana’s middleweight king, Dennis Thomas, who lost a close encounter to Puerto Rican Jose Luis Rodriguez.
Manager/coach of the Team Guyana, Sebert Blake, yesterday acknowledged that it was a hard loss for the game Thomas, who he claimed out-boxed and out-punched his opponent during a crowd-pleasing affair.
The seasoned coach argued that it is now apparent that knockout is the only way for some countries to come away victorious.
According to Blake, Thomas was even announced winner but that was later overturned. A win would have placed the experienced policeman in the quarter-final. Blake’s comments were echoed and supported by president of the St Lucian Boxing Association, David `Shakes’ Christopher.
“It seems that the Caribbean has to fight the referee, the judges, the spectators and the opponents at this Qualifier. We are hopeless here when it comes to decisions,” Christopher said. The St Lucian president also lamented the absence of Caribbean officials at the tournament.
Both of the St Lucian boxers competing in the Qualifier have lost. In addition Bahamas, Barbados Jamaica have seen their boxers booted from the competition.
On Saturday, Thomas’ countryman light heavyweight Desmond Amsterdam, the other Guyanese in the Qualifier, fell in the first round to Colombian Juan Carlos Carrillo.