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‘Not disappointed with Keevin’s performance’-Coach Blake
By Sean Devers
Kaieteur News – It was the biggest night of his career for 22-year-old Guyanese pugilist Keevin Allicock who, in his first outing at this level carried the weight of expectations of the entire Guyanese community at home and in the diaspora on his shoulders.
Garfield Wiltshire, Chef-de-Mission of Team Guyana is flanked by Allicock (left) and Coach Blake.
And although he lost by a unanimous decision to number 7 ranked Alexy Cruz on Saturday evening in the first round of the Tokyo Olympics to end his Olympic medal dream, his Coach Sebert Blake said he was not disappointed with the performance of his boxer.
The 47-year-old FYF Coach who has been with Allicock since he first stepped into the Albouystown Boxing Gym, said he would not say anything went wrong in the fight.
“For me, I would not say nothing went wrong. The boxer is a good fighter…he is rated number seven in world…he is not a fly-by-night fighter; he is a very good boxer and Keevin tried his best. I think Keevin executed most of the plans we set out. He (Cruz) is a tall fighter and our intention was to fight mid to short range… Keevin tried but at times we were not getting the distance we wanted. But he tried his utmost and I was not too pleased with some of the scores.
If you observe the first round and even the second round…to me, it was a bit closer than the Judges put forward but the Judge’s decision is final and we have to live with it,” said Coach Blake
“I am not disappointed. We are at the largest multi-sport Games in the World…the Olympics. So I am not disappointed in anyway. Keevin is very young and 2024 is just three years away from now so Keevin has a long and successful road ahead.
We all know that Keevin has the talent it’s just that he needs the necessary support and guidance. The Camp that we had in Russia was great but we need more regular Camps like these to help Keevin develop…or any athlete develop,” continued the Coach.
Before heading to Russia the talented Allicock and three other Guyanese boxers journeyed to Cuba for three-month training camp which ended up being much longer as the athletes being stranded in the Spanish speaking Caribbean Island due to the covid-19 pandemic.
“Keevin did not fight since 2019 due to the pandemic so there is no disappointment for me and I am sure that Keevin is not disappointed. It’s a major achievement just qualifying for the Olympics.
I would say it was a good fight because it was number seven in the world Keevin boxed against,” disclosed Blake, who won a Bronze medal at the 1997 Pan Am Games in Colombia. According to Blake, the next step for Keevin is the World Championships coming up later this year and to keep him interested in the sport.
“I think if we continue supporting him, he has great things for Guyana but we have to give him the support to move forward. After the fight I asked him how he felt and he said he is ok and mentally strong. He is feeling a bit of pain on his shoulder and we put some ice on it. Other than that he says he is feeling good.
But during the night I will keep checking on him and find out how he thinks and his plans to move forward. We have a few days to sit and plan the way forward for him. We have a short three years from now moving forward and I think we have to make the investment in other boxers and go back to the drawing board.
It took us three years to get us to where we are at so if we get another three years it will be six years for to get what we will really want. It is only the Association and the Government will know what investment they would make,” Blake concluded.
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