Jackman siblings confident ahead of Sunday’s bouts

By Sean Devers

The Jackman siblings, Alisha and Abiola attended the Women World Boxing Championships in New Delhi India where they both said they gained tremendous exposure and experience.

However, their journey was a brief one with both losing their opening-round bouts.

On the first day, 20-year-old Abiola, the older of the two, went down against India’s Nippur Sheoran in the heavyweight division (+81kg).

The 18 year-old Alesha (63kg) lost on the second day against Uzbekistan’s Khadichabonu Abdullaeva when the fight was stopped in the second round.

The sisters became the first female boxers from Guyana to gain a ranking from the International Boxing Association (IBA).
In the latest ranking list by IBA, Abiola is now ranked 27th in the world in the Elite Women 81 and over KG (heavyweight division) while Alesha is ranked number 58th in the Elite Women 60-63 KG (junior welterweight division).

After returning from India Alesha competed in the Champion of Champions tournament in St. Lucia while Abiola fought in Barbados where she beat her opponent.

Come Sunday at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue, Alisha will match gloves with Jamaican Britney Mc Farlsne while Abiola, who like her sister, hails from East Ruimveldt, will face Trinidadian Lee Ann Boodram in International bouts.

“I fought Britney in 2019 in Trinidad, so know her. She is a very good fighter and so am I. I plan to go out there and put my best foot forward and win the fight.” stated Alisha.

Alisha and her older sister Abiola are members of the Forgotten Youths Foundation (FYF) were they are both Coached by Sebert Blake, the Coach of Olympian Keevin Allicock.

“Turning Professional later in my career all defends on my achievements as an Amateur… then I would think about moving on and…it all depends on my Coach Sebert Blake because he play a big in our lives, not only in Boxing but in our personal lives also” stated Alisha.

“Well, where I grow up in Warlock. People think it’s a bad place but you don’t let where you come from define who you are or what you can become in life.

I got into boxing because we had a cousin that used to box and Coach came by us to pick up our cousin and I told him that when I finish writing Common Entrance Exams I want to join the Gym. When I finished my Exams I did so and that’s how I got involved in the sport” Alisha recounted

Alesha, who won gold at the Ronald Wilson Memorial Tournament in Barbados and also won gold at the Caribbean Championships. played Football and was a track athlete but realised that she loved boxing more than those other sports.

Abiola said that she learnt a lot from her sojourn in India and added that the trip inspired her to come back and work harder. She has lost some weight and is aiming to be at 74kg.

“I gained a lot experience and confidence from my trip to India. I need a lot more sparring sessions with people in my weight category so that I can improve,” informed Abiola, who took up the sport in 2016 after seeing her younger sister going to the gym.
She is confident that she will beat her Trini opponent on Sunday night.

“She is a good boxer we went to the Women World Boxing Championships in India and I saw her fight at the Patrick Ford Championships, so I know what to expect from her. She is good but intend put on good performance” stated Abiola, who also played Football and did track in Primary School after being inspired her sister to do the same.

“Anything my sister do, I would follow, and that’s how I got interested in boxing. I saw Alisha training and told coach I was coming back. In two weeks I had joined the Gym and since then I am in Boxing” explained Abiola, who informed that she trains in the mornings before doing ring work from 15:00hrs in the afternoon with Coach Blake.