Despite the alarm about the lack of sponsorship preceding the event, the sterling performances of the athletes at the Guyana Amateur Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation’s (GABBFF) National Novices championships underscored why more corporate funding should be invested in the sport.
The stage of the National Cultural Centre (NCC) was set alight on Sunday evening with a sea of sculpted athletes, ripped muscles, carefully rubbed in oil, and fierce competition among competitors from 10 gyms. In the end to determine the overall winner Kevin Edwards, Kerwin Clarke of Zahiff Gym, and Devon Wray of Total Fitness had to strut. Edwards, who was the lone competitor in the Intermediate heavyweight category, was unstoppable. After a year’s break from his last competition in 2009, Edwards showed no loss of form being away from the sport.
Clark was the winner of the U-154-pound category ahead of Alvin Goodman (Windero Gym of Berbice) and Terence Morris of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). He then moved up to the intermediate category to capture the lightweight title ahead of Andy Rogers (GDF), who had earlier won the under-143-pound category, and Goodman
Rogers, competing in the novices division, defeated Joel Flatts of Total Fitness, and Windero’s Graham Thomas. In the Men’s Masters category Thomas had to settle for second place to Dexter Garnett, who also won the under-177-pound division while Narine Bhowardin of Windero placed third.
Wray wrested the middleweight title of the intermediate category from Franken Mercurius, who later went on to flex his way to the under 176-pound title from Komalram Ghansham. Wray was also the winner of the under-165-pound weight class, beating Roscoe Joseph, who had comfortably won the junior title, and Bhowandin. Joseph showed his superiority against the juniors with Mercurius coming in second and Mahendra Singh, third.
For the Men’s Fitness title the Dance Fanatics made a clean sweep with Quason Nelson taking the pole position ahead of Ivelaw Campbelle and Luke James respectively.
On the distaff side Nadina Taharally won the Miss Body Fitness title ahead of Nevon Arno, who also won the Fitness title for her flexibility routine.
Meanwhile, when Stabroek Sport spoke with president of the GABBFF she thanked the sponsors who came on board: Fitness Express, New Building Society (NBS), Giftland Office Max, Nizam Haniff, Terence Joseph, Guyana Trinidad Mutual (GTM), Trans America Trading, Cell Zone and Nafra’s Boutique.
