GABA Head recommends Allicock training in Cuba be put on hold Due to Pan Am qualifier’s poor attitude to training

May 30, 2019 Sports

By Sean Devers
At just 19, Caribbean Bantamweight Champion Keevin Allicock has been blessed with lightening hand speed, tremendous skill, great hand/eye coordination, power and excellent technique and for those who have followed his career, knows that he is well on course to becoming

GOA President K Juman-Yassin congratulates Keevin Allicock in the presence of GBA’s President Steve-Ninvalle.

an Olympic medalist.
The talented youngster from the heart of Albouystown is arguably Guyana’s best treated pugilist, in both the amateur and professional ranks.
But of late, there seems to be one area of concern for the gifted boxer, and that is his attitude of knowing he is the best among his peers.
But, while other associations at times turns a blind eye on the indiscretions of their most talented competitors because of their extreme talent, President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Steve Ninvalle, is not afraid to say it like he sees it, in the long term interest the GBA’s most valuable asset.
There are many extremely talented youngsters who feel that they are the ‘best’ and develop an ‘attitude’. Clive Lloyd, rated as one of the best Captains in world Cricket, would often say, “Your attitude will determine your altitude.”
Allicock has qualified for the Pan American games in Peru this July-August and should have commenced preparations with a training sojourn in Cuba which some of the best amateur fighters in the world will be doing.
Allicock would be accompanied by National Boxing Coach, Cuban Francisco Hernandez Roldan, but that training Camp, facilitated by the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), has been put on hold by GBA Head, Ninvalle.
His training regimen was observed between May 1 and May 23 and the resulting finds were unacceptable hence the resulting sanction.
“Upon careful investigation it was uncovered that Mr. Allicock has been delinquent in regards to attending training sessions locally and his attitude towards the task at hand is nothing short of lackadaisical”, Ninvalle wrote to GOA President, K.A. Juman Yassin.
Ninvalle has recommended that the GOA put on hold Allicock’s trip to Cuba.
“Mr. Allicock attended 12 of 30 training sessions held by the Cuban Coach Mr. Francisco Roldan. This is despite the pleadings of several persons. Less than 50 percent attendance at training leading up to any competition is unacceptable barring illness,” Ninvalle wrote.
“Our conclusion is that if Mr. Allicock is unconcerned about his training in Guyana and treats it as unimportant, then it is only logical that the same will happen in Cuba,” the GABA President continued.
In his letter, Ninvalle reminded that approximately six weeks ago the GBA was forced to have a meeting with Yassin, Allicock and Coach Sebert Blake relating to the boxer’s approach to training.
Ninvalle informed that Cuban Coach Francisco Roldan had complained that Allicock failed to attend a number of sessions and could offer no logical excuse.
“We had then warned him that his attitude towards training needed to drastically improve. This has not happened and his attendance has gotten worse. In fact, Allicock failed to even attend a Medical Examination provided by the GOA and offered the excuse of “not feeling well as the reason for his absence”, a peeved GABA Boss lamented.
Ninvalle said that Allicock weighed over six pounds over the bantamweight limit for his last fight in Guyana.
At the meeting with the GOA Head last Saturday Allicock could offer no reason for his absence from training.
“Being concerned about his approach to training and preparation for such an important international engagement, the GBA recommends that his trip to Cuba be put on hold.
We also recommend that the GOA immediately put on hold all stipends paid to Allicock until the GBA signals that there has been an improvement in his attitude towards training,” Ninvalle concluded.

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