Boxing standout Keevin Allicock has emerged as the lone Guyanese pugilist to be included in the latest world rankings released by world governing body AIBA.
According to a press release, the lightning-quick Allicock, is rated 19th in the bantamweight division well ahead of several top boxers from, China, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Ukraine and Peru. The achievement breaks the world ranking jinx of over a decade for Guyana. The last Guyanese to hold an AIBA world ranking was Allicock’s brother Dillon Allicock.
The current world bantamweight champion is Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov of Uzbekistan.
President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Steve Ninvalle, in congratulating Allicock promised that it is only a matter of time before more local boxers emulate the current Caribbean bantamweight champion.
“We are proud of his achievement and our plan and expectation is that others will follow in his footsteps when the doors of boxing are opened again,” Ninvalle said.
Allicock, a Commonwealth Youth Games silver medalist was a part of a quartet of Guyanese boxers stranded in Cuba for 126 days. Colin Lewis, Dennis Thomas, Desmond Amsterdam and Allicock travelled to Cuba in January to prepare for the AMBC Olympic Qualifiers which was later cancelled because of concern about the spread of COVID-19.
Following the closure of Guyana’s borders, the four were forced to remain in Cuba until last Friday night.
