Prized middleweight, Desmond Amsterdam created history on Sunday by becoming the first Guyanese to be assured of a medal and to cash in at the ongoing American Boxing Confederation (AMBC) Elite Championships currently underway in Ecuador.
After boxing his way to the semis with a quarterfinal 3-2 win over Eldric Sella, Amsterdam, who returned to international competition following the World Championships, is all but guaranteed at least a bronze medal after earning a place in the final four.
The next bout for the Officer in the Guyana Defence Force is scheduled for tomorrow as he attempts to further ascend the podium steps and smile all the way to the bank. The medallists in each of the 13 men and 12 women’s weight categories will receive winnings of $US10, 000 for the first place, $US5, 000 for the silver and $US2, 500 for bronze.
“It’s a really good initiative because you can remain in the amateur ranks and still make a living,” said Steve Ninvalle, vice-president of the AMBC.
“So, you stand a chance of making a tidy sum if you are up in winnings or if you continue to win,” he added.
Ninvalle lauded the historical heroics of Amsterdam. “He is one of the better boxers in the Caribbean and we are extremely happy that Desmond Amsterdam could have pushed himself to be on the medal table. It is the first time we would have had a Guyanese who would have been able to earn financially as an amateur,” he declared.
Ninvalle added “For his part he has created history and my hope and expectation is that he goes on to win the silver and even a gold. Looking at the fight I was very impressed he was able to defeat his opponent from Paraguay, this is an achievement to be applauded.”
Meanwhile, Guyana’s two other representatives at the event, light welterweight, Colin Lewis and lightweight, Jamal Eastman lost their opening bouts.
Lewis lost to Perez Caban 4-1 while Eastman was disqualified for persistent ducking in round two versus against Colombian, Jhon Orobio.
The Championships are set to run until April 2 in Guayaquil, with competition being held at the Coliseo Voltaire Paladines Polo Complex.
