TWENTY-One year-old Jamal Eastman will touch down in Georgetown tomorrow afternoon with the main aim of retaining his national lightweight title when the Guyana Boxing Association(GBA) stages the Terrence Alli National Open.

Known as ‘The Beast from Berbice’, Eastman reigned supreme at last year’s national tournament and went further by snatching gold in the same category at the Caribbean Championships held here last December.

In the National tournament Eastman defeated Delroy Fordyce of the GDF in the lightweight final. Moving up to the Caribbean Championship he decked Trinidadian opponent Jessie Edwards with a right hook to the jaw.

Edwards was the favourite to take the gold medal after he defeated Michael Alexander in the Trinidad Open.

While Edwards struggled to regain his footing, the referee had no alternative than to wave off the contest at 33 seconds of the second round in the process handing Eastman the Caribbean lightweight crown.

A man of few words the New Amsterdam-born Eastman would only say that he is confident of retaining both titles when the time comes. “I am training hard and my focus now is winning the National Open. After that my attention will turn to holding on to my Caribbean Title,” Eastman said.

The National Open will be staged from November 1-3 at the National Gymnasium.

 The orthodox fighter trains at the Rose- Hall Jammers Gym with Coach Gregory ‘Chassis’ Cort in his corner. Leading up to the National Open Eastman has been receiving glove work from several including Joel Williamson. Ironically, Williamson missed out on a Caribbean lightweight gold medal after losing to Trinidadian Michael Alexander in 2017 in St. Lucia.

“I am very confident of success at the National Open,” reiterated Eastman Eastman who has Fordyce again as one of the hurdles leading to retaining the crown. The National Open will have gyms from across the country participating including reigning champions the Guyana Defence Force.  Meanwhile, GBA president Steve Ninvalle has revealed that this year’s tournament will have an overseas flavour.

Ninvalle disclosed that two fighters from the USA and one from St Lucia will be participating with the aim of being selected on the team for the Caribbean Championships.