Guyana’s boxer Keevin Allicock bows out of action at the Tokyo Olympic Games after his defeat to Alexy Miguel de la Cruz Baez of the Dominica Republic early Saturday morning.
According to match stats, the Spanish man defeated Allicock in all five rounds, which according to Guyanese Sports Journlaist Rawle Toney has left boxing pundits puzzled.
Toney said in a Facebook post that history would show that Allicock is usually treated unfairly internationally.
He reported: “Ironically, in 2019 in Uruguay, Allicock was preparing to fight De la Cruz in the quarter-finals of the Pan Am qualifiers, when an official disqualified before he even entered the ring, for him wearing an ‘inappropriate’ colour. The Guyana Boxing Association eventually lodged a successful appeal with their International affiliate and the decision was overturned.
“At the Pan Am Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships and now Olympics, Allicock has been in the centre of controversial judging.
“Even at the Youth Commonwealth Games, the crowd booed the final decision when the judged awarded Allicock a silver medal. It was Guyana’s only medal at the Games.
“Each of those events, he was unfairly judged. At one of those Games, his opposition had to get medical attention after Keevin finish beating him. Its sad cause that kid put so much into boxing, discipline and always confident.
Toney quoted Allicock’s coach, Sebert Blake, as saying he was proud of Allicock.
“There’s no bigger stage in amateur boxing than the Olympics. We all should be proud. Keevin is still very young…2024 Olympics is three years from now, he will be 25 and will have more experience. So while we didn’t get the result we wanted, I’m very proud of Keevin,” Blake is quoted as saying by Allicock.
