IN just a few days, the National Cultural Centre will be transformed into a body building camp, fitness spectacle as the best of Central America and the Caribbean bodybuilders displays their ripped and chiselled bodies, in front of what is anticipated to be a large audience.
Following months of arduous preparations both at the administrative and athlete levels, this weekend showdown among the athletes will occur face to face as they battle for individual and regional supremacy in the sport. One such team is St. Maarten, who has sent a small contingent to represent them at this year’s championships and the word is that, despite their size, they are confident of doing well at the event.
They arrived in the country yesterday and the Guyana Body Building Camp, Fitness Federation President Keavon Bess, disclosed that more teams are expected in today to continue preparations for the ‘big’ show that commences on Saturday and culminates the following day.
Over 250 athletes from 20 countries including Guyana will be flexing and posing their bodies in what is already being touted as the most exciting event to attend this weekend. Several defending champions will be returning to represent the ‘Land of Many Waters’ and they include Mr. Physique from last year, Emmerson Campbell and Hannah Rampersaud who grabbed a silver medal and Julio Sinclair, who claimed a bronze medal last year have been named on the team shortlisted to represent Guyana.
The full list is: Selwyn Grogan (Masters Under 75KG, Sylvon Gardner (Masters Under-70KG), Orlanzo Valenzuela (U-65KG), Daniel Lutchman (U-70KG), Delrae McLean (Masters-U-75KG), Christopher Anthony (Masters U-75KG), Seon Budhan (U-65KG), Julio Sinclair (Over 100KG), Marley Vyphuis (Men’s Physique 186cm), Kewsie Anderson (Men’s Physique 186cm & Physique Mass), Roger Callender (U-60KG), Yusuf Khan (Physique 172cm), Antowyn Bayley (Men’s Physique 176cm), Sachin Sharma (Men’s Physique 170cm), Jamal Pollydore (Men’s Physique 176cm), Emmerson Campbell
(Men’s Physique 170cm), Renaldo Caldeira (Men’s Physique 170cm), Hannah Rampersaud (Junior Wellness), Melitha Fernandes-Anderson (Women Wellness under 158), Christine Ramsammy (Bikini Under 169), Sabita Stephenson (Bikini Under 165), Joel Caldeira ( Bodybuilding under 65kg), Vanisha
Munroe (Women’s Wellness under 160), Aliya Wong (Women’s Wellness under 158) and Rawle Green (Masters Bodybuilding Under 90kg). Meanwhile, the countries confirmed to participate are Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, St. Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela, Colombia, Jamaica, St. Maarten (Dutch side), Haiti, Nicaragua, Mexico, Costa Rica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines along with host Guyana.