Officials guarantee victory at imminent muscle, fitness competition

By Morissa Lindsay

Senior executive members of the Barbados Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (BABBFF) have strongly proclaimed that Barbados will win the 2022 Central American and Caribbean Championship (CAC) and the Roger Boyce Elite Professional Competition.

Speaking during this morning’s press conference at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, BABBFF Public Relations Officer Ivor Worrell said that the highly anticipated CAC showdown is the top amateur level of bodybuilding in the region and is scheduled for July 29th and 30th at the same Wildey, St Michael Gymnasium.

Once successful at the CAC level which will cost over BDS$300, 000 to host, it is expected that several Barbadian bodybuilders and fitness athletes will receive their professional cards to compete at the 2022 Roger Boyce Elite Professional competition scheduled for Sunday, July 31st. So far there are seven top professionals from Barbados that have solidified their places and are expected to grace the stage for the Roger Boyce Elite Pro named after Boyce himself who is also currently the first vice-president of BABBFF.

Among those that will be competing for Barbados are reigning 2022 national champion Ramon Broomes along with tall class queen Andrea Thompson who for the first time has received her International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness professional card. This would afford Thompson the chance to compete at the elite level

Competitors from as far as Kenya, Ghana, St. Lucia, Guyana, Suriname, Haiti, Aruba, Mexico and Colombia will arrive in Barbados to flex their muscles. They are expected to arrive Monday, July 25, leading up to the competition. Boyce who also serves as national coach acknowledged that even though bodybuilding was on the ebb not just in the region but also worldwide, Barbados has a quality team that is ready to represent and has assured that the bodybuilding trophy for sure will stay at home.

“Bodybuilding right now not just in Barbados or the Caribbean but worldwide is on the down low if you want to call it that because you have so many other categories now such as classic bodybuilding, classic physique, men’s physique and because you don’t have to work as hard, people gravitate to the boxer or three-quarter pants. So, this year, yes, for bodybuilding at CAC we don’t have numbers but we have a quality team which is spearheaded by Ramon Broomes,” Boyce explained.

Some of the top names expected to compete at the Roger Boyce Elite Pro will be Curacao national champion Urlyson Maria, Eddy Wilson from Suriname and Kimberly Percival from Antigua who made history as the first female competitor from that country to
win the Arnold Classic Europe in Sevilla, Spain.

President of BABBFF, Dr Alfred Sparman, as well as secretary Elaine White, were in attendance at the press conference. Sparman shared the same sentiments as Boyce with absolutely no reservations that Barbados will not be beaten in their own backyard.

“Nobody is going to come into our backyard and beat us. We have a motto this year, ‘One Spirit, One Team, One Win.’ We are going to win this thing for Barbados. You should see our seniors, they are all primed and ready, so ladies and gentlemen we are going to do good for our country. We love this country and we will make this country proud,” Sparman said during his remarks.

The sponsors for this year’s competition are Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI), Co-operators General Insurance, A1 Supermarkets and Zephirin’s Bakeries who have all expressed pleasure in being able to support the BABBFF.

BTMI representative Rose-Marie Forde said they are proud to stand behind the sport of bodybuilding, especially with the two-year hiatus where the athletes were forced to take such a big break.

“We are proud to stand behind the athletes of Barbados who have had to take that really big break. So, the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc is not just behind the social event, we love to back sporting events also and being allowed to help our local athletes to help progress locally and abroad we pledge our support for 2022 and beyond,”

Human Resources and Marketing Manager of Co-operators General Insurance Cheryl Forde said the company would continue to play their part in local bodybuilding and that she prays all goes well during the respective competitions.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb