GDF boxer advances to semi-finals at AMBC Elite Championships
GUYANA will be certain of a medal in this year’s American Boxing Confederation (AMBC) Elite Championship in Guayaquil, Ecuador after Desmond Amsterdam reached the semi-finals of the Men’s middleweight division.

Amsterdam, fellow middleweight Jamal Eastman and light welterweight, Colin Lewis, are the country’s representatives at the Championship which will conclude on Saturday.

Lewis was edged out in a somewhat controversial decision, while Harvey was disqualified in the second round of his clash with Colombia’s Elin Orobio.

Facing Venezuelan Eldric Sell, who competed at the Tokyo Olympics as part of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Refugee team, Amsterdam won his fight via a 3 – 2 judges scorecard at the event of the five-round contest.

Spain’s Jose Hernande scored the fight 28 – 29 in favour of Amsterdam, while the USA’s Kevin Hope also scored his card in the Guyanese favour, 27 – 30, who was fighting out of the blue corner.

However, Piroska Beki of Hungry scorecard saw Sell winning 30 – 27, while Roderico Garcia of Guatemala had the Guyanese behind 29 – 28.

With four judges splitting the card, it came down to Puerto’s Hector Mal, who scored in favour of Amsterdam, 28 – 29.

With the win, Amsterdam would be certain of at least returning to Guyana with a bronze medal if he fails to progress to the finals of his division.

Steve Ninvalle, president of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), said the local custodian of Amateur boxing in the country is happy that Amsterdam “could’ve pushed himself to be on the medals table. This will be the first time that we’ll have a Guyanese who’ll be able to earn, as an amateur, earn financially from it. In that part, he’s created history.”

Amsterdam is now two fights away from claiming the US$10,000 prize for each of the 13 men’s weight category winners.

If he fails to clinch the top podium spot, Amsterdam could pick up US$5,000 for finishing second. As it stands, Amsterdam is guaranteed US$2,500, which is given to each of the two bronze medallists in each division.

“This will be the first time that we’ll have a Guyanese who will earn financially from competing in an amateur fight, so he has created history for that,” Ninvalle said.

The GBA president said that “Amsterdam is one of the better boxers in the Caribbean, he’s the former Caribbean Middleweight champion and now he has pushed himself into being an AMBC medallist.”

Before the team’s departure last week, Ninvalle had stated that the Championships would’ve been a testing ground for the local pugilists, taking into consideration that they have been out of competitive boxing since the advent of COVID-19, except for Keevin Allicock, who was in action at the 32nd Olympics and the World Championships.