– CAC team to remain at home
Inadequate funding and sponsorship has resulted in the postponement of the Guyana Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GABBFF) Senior National Championships and subsequently it has been decided to keep Guyana’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) team home.
Yesterday president of the association Fiona Harris broke the bad news that Guyana will not be represented at the 39th International Federation of Body Builders (IFBB) CAC bodybuilding championships in Aruba, which started yesterday and will end on Sunday.
She expressed her disappointment, stating that the association had only secured money for 2010 Mr. Guyana Clint Duke.
She further stated that she hopes that this does not deter athletes from competing in future, especially since the association has solicited the assistance of corporate Guyana and the sport ministry.
She indicated that the ministry did not respond to the letter she wrote seeking assistance and few companies were timely in their response to the request of the GABBFF.
In an email Harris wrote, “While we were able to accumulate decent funding for the trip, flights are not available. We are however thankful to Giftland Office Max, Decor and Gift Gallery, De Sinco Trading and Fitness Express for their contributions.”
Harris also wrote that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Guyana Telephone & Telegraph (GT&T) have made commitments to provide assistance. However, the organizations have been notified that it would be too late.
The eight athletes will now form Guyana’s contingent for the upcoming Darcy Beckles Competition in Barbados on November 20.
The athletes who were selected for the CAC were Duke, 2009 Mr. Guyana Oswin Jones, who will be competing in the heavyweight division, Devon Davis (Mr. Guyana bantamweight 2010), Alisha Fortune (Miss Guyana Physique and CAC fifth place finalist in 2009), 2010 Miss Guyana runner-up Kascia Beaton, Marlon Bennett (2009 CAC silver medalist and this year’s Mr. Guyana lightweight winner), Curtis Mc Kenzie (Mr. Guyana Men’s Fitness) and under-21 athlete Rudolph Blackman.
Duke had told Stabroek Sport that his main focus was to capture that elusive CAC gold medal and therefore he had stepped up his training. He had acknowledged that while there are some countries that register some talented bodybuilders he was positive that this year would have been his year for the gold medal.
Duke, 38, who is the 2004 CAC silver medallist, was quoted as saying that the only thing that could have broken his spirit was the announcement that he would not be able to attend the games because of a lack of funding. He recalled that it had discouraged him in the past but he was hopeful that there would not have been a recurrence.
Efforts to reach Duke yesterday for a comment were futile.
