October 7, 2024
Guyana is set to showcase its best bodybuilding and fitness talent at the Central America and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championship on October 19 and 20, hosted at the National Cultural Centre.
The event will feature elite athletes competing for gold and the opportunity to turn professional.
Leading the Guyanese contingent are seasoned athletes and multiple-time CAC medalists, including Emmerson Campbell, Rawle Green, Hannah Rampersaud, Julio Sinclair, and veteran competitor Sylvan Gardner.
The squad also comprises rising stars such as Aliya Wong, Vanisha Munroe, Joel Caldeira, Sabita Stephenson, Christine Ramsammy, and many others.
The competition will see Guyana face off against formidable opponents from across the region, with athletes expected from countries including Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, St. Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Colombia, Jamaica, St. Martin (Dutch), Haiti, Nicaragua, Mexico, Costa Rica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Support for the championship has been strong, with sponsorship from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the National Sports Commission, and the Guyana Olympic Association.
Keavon Bess, president of the Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GBBFF), emphasized the importance of government support in making the championship possible and expressed gratitude to sponsors like Fitness Express, led by Jamie McDonald, who has been a significant supporter of bodybuilding in Guyana for over 15 years.
Bess noted the need for increased corporate sponsorship for this international event, which was last held in Guyana in 2004.
At the 50th edition of the championship in Aruba last year, Guyana achieved remarkable success, winning four gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal.
As the competition approaches, Guyana’s bodybuilding community remains optimistic about their athletes’ prospects for success on the regional stage.