TABLE Tennis star Chelsea Edghill and boxer Keevin Allicock’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics journey came to an end yesterday despite the two athletes’ inspiring performance in their respective disciplines.
For Edghill, it was a historic achievement for the 24-year-old, who plays professionally in Portugal.
Playing in the very first match of the Women’s Singles Tournament in Japan, Edghill brushed aside Fiji’s Sally Yee 4-1 (11-5, 4-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8).
While on the surface Edghill’s match-winning performance might seem casual, given her brilliance in the sport, in the table tennis world, it represented ‘history’; not just for Guyana, but the Caribbean.
While Edghill became Guyana’s first, male or female table tennis player to represent the country in the sport at the Olympics, the Linwood University graduate (Chemistry) was also the first female player from the English-speaking Caribbean to feature at the event since it became an Olympic sport in 1988.
After her much-talked-about and celebrated victory over Yee, Edghill’s next opponent was 17-year-old Shin Yubin from South Korea.
Shin Yubin is South Korea’s youngest-ever representative in the sport and against Edghill, the world 85th ranked player showed why she’s one of the best players in the world, winning 4-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-1, 12-10).
KEEVIN ALLICOCK OUT
Meanwhile, Allicock, whose presence in Tokyo heralded a return of Guyana at Olympics boxing for the first time since John Douglas at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, was once again at the centre of another controversial decision.
Allicock was up against the Dominican Republic’s Alexy de la Cruz in the men’s featherweight division, in a match that was supposed to be ‘redemption’ for the Albouystown resident.
Allicock’s clash with de la Cruz has been in the making since the 2019 Pan Games qualifiers in Uruguay, when the two were scheduled to meet in the quarterfinals.
However, Allicock was disqualified after officials thought that he had on an inappropriate colour to enter the ring. The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) later appealed the decision and Allicock went ahead to box at the Pan Am Games in Peru, where he was again at the centre of another controversial decision.
Meanwhile at the Olympics, though the Forgotten Youth Foundation Gym member might have done better in the eyes of the pundits against de la Cruz in the three rounds, the judges saw another fight.
USA’s Beau Campbell, Radoslav Simon from Slovakia, Germany’s Susann Kopke, Mansur Muhiddinov of Tajikistan and Sri Lankan Nelka Shiromala Thampu all judged in favour of the Dominican Republic boxer, as de la Cruz won via a Unanimous Decision.
Looking ahead, Andrew Fowler will dive into the pool on July 27, in Heat 2 of the men’s 100 metres freestyle.
Fifteen-year-old Aleka Persaud, the country’s youngest-ever Olympian, will be in the pool on Friday July 30 in the women’s 50 metres freestyle.
Jasmine Abrams and Emanuel Archibald will take to the starting blocks in their respective 100 metres on Friday, July 30; Aliyah Abrams will make her second appearance at the Olympics in the women’s 400 metres on Tuesday, August 3.
