Jade Micock narrowly missed out on a gold-medal triumph at the African Boxing Championships in Kenya, losing 5-0 on points to an Algerian opponent in the final of the men’s 75kg category, but still secured a valuable silver medal for Seychelles.
His achievement sees him match the feat of Keddy Agnes three years ago, the last Seychellois boxer to win a medal at the African Championships, giving the country another podium finish at continental level.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on gold, Seychelles Boxing Federation (SBF) chairman Edmond Follette believes Micock has plenty to be proud of, describing him as a young boxer with considerable potential who can learn from the experience.
Follette, who watched the final, said Micock appeared to be showing signs of fatigue after a demanding semi-final against Kenyan boxer Steve Onyando, whose fighting spirit had forced the Seychellois to work hard for his victory.
He explained that although the Algerian was not as aggressive as the Kenyan, he was a more technical boxer who took advantage of Micock’s physical condition and defensive lapse.
According to Follette, Micock spent long periods boxing without maintaining a proper defence, something that can prove costly at this level of competition.
He stressed that at this level, a boxer must maintain his defensive discipline throughout the fight, as even brief lapses can be punished by technically adept opponents.
He explained that still the Algerian was not as proficient as he was in previous rounds, in his bout against Micock, despite winning largely.
“There were many foul blows called against the Algerian too, but even with the referee’s calls, the blows were still landing and eventually took their toll on Micock,” Follette explained.
“Even when the blows are disallowed, they are still landing, those who perform the sport will understand what I’m talking about” he advanced.
He suggested that the Algerian’s approach appeared to involve continuing to land punches despite the referee repeatedly calling out the infringements, leaving Micock to absorb punishment as the contest progressed.
Nevertheless, he urged Micock to take pride in what he had achieved in Kenya, pointing out that the young pugilist had demonstrated his ability to compete at continental level and had gained valuable experience for the future.
He said he asked Micock whether he intended to return to Turkey to continue his training afterwards and the boxer has opted to take a break to reflect on the experience and digest the disappointment of losing the final before deciding on his next move.
Micock’s silver medal followed an encouraging campaign in which he won two bouts to reach the final of the 75kg category.
He opened his campaign with a victory by referee-stopped contest (RSC) against Somalia’s Ahmed Abdoulah before progressing past Kenyan boxer Steve Onyando in the semi-finals.
Although he fell short of the ultimate prize, his two victories and run to the final ensured that he returned home with one of the country’s most significant boxing achievements at the championships in recent years.
Micock was accompanied in Kenya by Lorenzo Bonne and Sebastiano Pierani, but neither managed to progress beyond the opening round of their respective categories.
Bonne, competing in the men’s 70kg division, lost his opening bout by RSC to Egyptian boxer Elawady Omar, bringing his campaign to an early end.
Pierani, competed in the 60kg category and suffered a 5-0 defeat on points against Rwanda’s Nyonzima Pacif also in his first outing.
A fourth pugilist, Franco Zialor, is the last remaining medal hope for Seychelles at the championship, He was in action las night in the 55kg category.