… Fortune retains her title
GUYANA Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMRSC) gym instructor Royston Booker adorned himself in glory last Sunday night at the National Cultural Centre (NCC), when he won the second biennial Guyana Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GABBFF)-sanctioned Mr Hugh Ross Classic from a field of five competitors. Defending women’s champion Alicia Fortune was head and shoulders above her three competitors and Guyana Defence Force (GDF) gym mates Letitia Myles, Kascia Beaton and Daesia Junor, hence she easily carted off the title for a second time, along with being adjudged the Best Legs winner, to which she received a special prize from former president of the GABBFF Donald Sinclair..
Having dominated a four-man field which included former general secretary of the GABBFF Bruce Whatley and a veteran competitor in 63-year-old Lewis Deen in the heavyweight category,
Booker, who was an innocent spectator at the inaugural HRC held two years ago and which was won by Linden’s Mark ‘Uno’ Perry, easily carted off the overall Mr HRC title.
Earlier in the night’s proceedings, GDF’s Devon Davis took the bantamweight title (143lb) from the crowd favourite Travis Peters of Total Fitness and Windorojo’s fast-improving Melroy Grant in that order, while University of Guyana’s Cyrus Cypriani who two years ago was a household name at the Intermediate level, finished fourth.
2009 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) games bantamweight silver medallist Marlon Bennett of Total Fitness won the lightweight (144-154lb) category from Alston Lancaster (Windorojo) and another crowd favourite Ronnier Caesar of Buddy’s Gym.
The welterweight (155-165lb) division was carted off by Alfred Jordan (Total Fitness) from the experienced Clint Duke also of Total Fitness and Selwyn Grogan of Interline Fitness gym with GDF’s Michael Simon occupying the fourth position.
Rawle Greene is mostly known in Guyana as the man who ran 10.20 in a 100 metres but after his performance at the NCC last Sunday night, he will be remembered as the man who defeated the seasoned seven times Mr. Guyana Lindie Sharpe of Universal Barbell Club into third place for the light-middleweight (166-176lb) title.
The two tussled back and forth for space as they sought to get the judges’ attention in their seven compulsory poses, with a much bigger Sharpe refusing to budge against a well chiselled Greene, despite lots of heckling from the almost packed to capacity venue.
The 53-year-old Sharpe, who was later recognised by Guyana’s world renowned bodybuilder Hugh Ross, was beaten by another up-and-coming bodybuilder, Delon Harlequin of Interline Fitness gym, who took the runner-up position to Greene, with Harlequin’s gym mate Andel Cameron placing fourth.
Sounds of wow, oohs and aahs filled the auditorium, when Ross invited and introduced Perry, who was debarred from competing in this year’s show, to the crowd, when the inaugural champion who was asked to remove his top, did so eventually after trying to get Ross to remove his at the same time.
Trinidad and Tobago’s female professional bodybuilder and reigning Central American and Caribbean champion (55kg) Candice Carr-Archer, who has won for herself three Eastern Caribbean Bodybuilding championships in 2003, 2006 and 2007, wooed the audience with a brief routine that lasted less than 90 seconds.
The 37-year-old Carr-Archer last competed at the 2008 World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships in Santa Susanna, Spain, and even though she did not place among the top athletes on show, was elated to be at the event as she was the first female Trinidadian bodybuilder to do so.
Ross thrilled the audience which included Chief of Staff of the GDF Commodore  Gary Best, Mayor of Georgetown and former Prime Minister Hamilton Green, for approximately five minutes during his guest-posing routine.
He only exposed his top half to his audience and despite much prompting from one of the night’s Master of Ceremonies and local comedian Howard Lorimar, with president of the GABBFF Fiona Harris also executing such duties, he did not remove his pants.
Apart from his trophy and hamper compliments of Fitness Express, the 2010 Mr HRC was also the recipient of one Yamaha 100 motorcycle, compliments of Ming’s Products and Services Limited.
In an invited comment, Ross said he was pleased with this year’s show, which contrary to person’s understanding is a biennial one, based on the number of athletes who turned out to compete in same, as well as the response not only from the public, but corporate Guyana as well.
“Certainly, this show has been the better of the two shows to date, simply because of the number of athletes who competed which is approximately 50% more than those who competed in the first show, while the response of the public was fabulous and such augurs well for the sport.”
When quizzed on Perry’s participation at the next show scheduled for 2012, Ross said same is a possibility, as that augurs well for the sport which is being revived here in Guyana.
A total of 34 athletes from eight gyms from as far as Berbice (Windorojo) to the east and Linden (Universal Barbell Club) to the south, competed in this year’s show which was declared open by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony.