…Boxer shifts focus to 2024 Olympic Games

GUYANA’s Keevin Allicock would not be leaving the amateur ranks any time soon, as the Olympian now shifts his attention to competing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.
“I wanted to go pro after this Olympics, but the love that I’m seeing, believe me, I’m going to give it the next three years, I’m going to fight again; I’m going to the next Olympics and represent Guyana,” Allicock proclaimed. Allicock’s presence in Tokyo saw the return of Guyana at Olympic boxing for the first time since John Douglas at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
The Albouystown resident squared off against Alexy de la Cruz in the men’s Featherweight division, but despite his effort, the judges, Beau Campbell (USA), Radoslav Simon (Slovakia), Susann Kopke (Germany), Mansur Muhiddinov (Tajikistan) and Nelka Shiromala Thampu (Sri Lanka) all scored in favour of the Dominican Republic boxer.

Allicock said after his disappointing result, he reflected on all the high hopes that were placed in him by the local boxing fraternity and the country, but he pointed out, “If it’s God’s will for me, then I would’ve moved on to the next round. I came here (Tokyo), I performed, I do my best and represented everyone in Guyana and I want people to understand that this is not the [end] of it.”
Meanwhile, Allicock believes that he needs to be more exposed, “to go to more games so the Judges can know me, and fight more competition to help my game a lot. These are some of things that I’ve been lacking. But I think now with the management, the president Mr Steve Ninvalle and everyone else, things will get better.”
Steve Ninvalle, president of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), speaking on the future of his most-prized boxer, pointed out that “Keevin has given me his word that he will be staying over in the Amateur ranks for the next Olympics. He will be matured as an Amateur fighter and my plan is to have him and other boxers exposed to the high level of competition in the world, so that his next occasion at the Olympics, he will be much better than this one.”