My only regret is my father not being here to live this dream with me – Keevin Allicock

WHILE the sport of boxing in Guyana celebrates the news of Keevin Allicock qualifying for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, for the 2017 Youth Commonwealth Games silver medallist, it’s a bitter-sweet moment. In an exclusive interview with NCN Sport, Keevin shared that the sad part is that his father, Leonard Allicock, whom he credits for his brothers and himself lacing-up the gloves, would not be here to see him realise his Olympic dream. Allicock will become the first boxer in 25 years to compete at the Olympics. John Douglas, Guyana’s flag-bearer for the 1996 Olympic Games, was the last boxer to represent the Golden Arrowhead at the IOC’s flagship event. He, however, had lost in the first round of his light heavyweight clash with Germany’s Thomas Ulrich, who went on to claim bronze. Guyana’s lone Olympic medal (bronze) came from the sport of boxing when Michael Parris reached the semi-finals at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. “My father trained a lot of my brothers and sisters and I’ve made a lot of sacrifices just to show him that I can do it; just to show him that I can be the one. I can fly the flag, I can make him proud. I’m so overwhelmed that he’s not here. This is all I ever wanted. I used to pray and ask God to let him live so that he can see me do this,” an emotional Allicock said.
The Albouystown resident believes that his trip to the Olympics is an opportunity for him to make amends for his controversial defeats at the Commonwealth Games in Australia and the World Boxing Champions.

Allicock’s selection by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Boxing Task Force is being labelled as a “joyous moment for boxing in Guyana,” according to president of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Steve Ninvalle. Ninvalle, who was recently appointed as the country’s Director of Sport, said Allicock heading to the Olympics “underlines that our executive has been on the right track. It has been 25 years since we had someone qualify for the Olympics. We will need all aboard to increase his chances of medalling or even bettering the bronze that we won in 1980.” “Congrats to Keevin, who celebrated his 22nd birthday a few days ago. From a personal standpoint I was confident that he would have qualified. He now joins boxers from Antigua, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago as CARICOM representatives in Tokyo,” an elated Ninvalle pointed out. Meanwhile, for Sebert Blake, Allicock’s coach, his boxer’s achievement will be shared by all his gym-mates from the Forgotten Youth Foundation Gym, since many will be sharing his dream of competing at the highest stage of amateur boxing.
“I’m elated,” Blake said. “It’s a dream that came true not only for him as a boxer, but for myself as a coach. I’ve always had the dream of coaching a boxer to the Olympics. As a boxer myself, I never got to reach that level. I went to two qualifiers (1996 and 2000) and I gave-up and moved on to the other level and said I’m going to coach a boxer to the Olympics,” Blake told Chronicle Sport.

Keevin Allicock is ranked #19 in the world, according to the latest International Boxing Association (AIBA) rankings.
Delon Allicock, Keevin’s older brother, was the last Guyanese boxer to be highly-ranked by AIBA and was also coached by Blake.
Desmond Amsterdam, Colin Lewis, Dennis Thomas and Canada-based Taveena Kum, the lone female, were the other boxers hoping to pick-up one of 49 spots for the Tokyo Olympic Games at the American Boxing Confederation (AMBC), Qualifiers in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which were scheduled for May.
All 49 (33 for men, 16 for women) quota places of the Americas Olympic Boxing Qualifiers will be allocated via the Boxing Task Force Ranking.
“Keevin’s qualification just shows the need for exposure,” Ninvalle said, as he explained that in the absence of a qualification tournament, Ranking points were then used and Guyana would’ve made it to Tokyo through a tripartite request. “We will need all resources and all hands-on-deck if we are to get him anywhere near a medal round. This includes international training camps which we’re working. We intend to do the best that we (GBA) can to make him competitive at the up-coming Olympics,” Ninvalle said.