By BRENT STUBBS
Senior Sports Reporter
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
FOLLOWING the successful return of the National Bodybuilding Championships over the weekend at Atlantis, the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation has selected a 16-member team to represent the Bahamas at the Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships.
The team is expected to travel on Wednesday, July 27 for the championships scheduled for Thursday, July 28 to Monday, August 1 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Named to the team are Fania Joseph - women’s Bikini Class B; Kastachia Stuart - women’s Bikini Class G; Britnae Davis - women’s Bikini Class H; Cara Saunders and Altonique Curtis - women’s Bikini Wellness; Dorcas Cox - women’s Figure/ Body Fitness; Gemo Smith - men’s muscular physique; Giovanne Farrington; Orick Nesbitt - men’s Bodybuilding Super Heavyweight; Terrion Kemp - men’s physique junior; Justin Lightbourn - men’s physique Class A; Anthon Moxey - men’s physique Class C; Wedlear Eugene - men’s physique Class D; Judah Forbes - men’s physique Class E and Kaif Young and Davin Johnson - men’s physique Class F. The team will be coached by Leonardo ‘Nardo’ Dean and Raymond Tucker.
Federation president Joel Stubbs, in making the announcement yesterday, said he’s confident that the team will represent the Bahamas very well.
“I am in a comfortable place with regards to the team selection,” he said. “We have a small but elite team that is made up of a few new hungry athletes that are ready to take advantage of this opportunity.
“The team is paired evenly with eight of them having participated before at the CAC level and eight competing for the very first time.
“The eight veterans will provide a level of experience and knowledge that will assist in building athletes’ confidence,” he added.
Stubbs, however, admitted that the competition will be very intense with the Bahamas facing competitors from host country Barbados, Jamaica, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, who are known as powerhouses in the region.
“Barbados is a country that has birth bodybuilding from the high school level and so, we expect stiff competition,” Stubbs said. “However, I expect Team Bahamas to be on the podium collecting hardware in each of the categories that we compete in.”
With such a short turn around before they head out, Stubbs said he feels the competitors will be up to the challenge to carry the Bahamian flag in Barbados.
“Athletes have a very short time in their preparation for the games but if they can duplicate the same presentation or refine what was displayed on Saturday evening,” Stubbs said. “I think a large number of gold medals will be coming back home.”
Bahamas head judge Charles Sealy and Grand Bahama’s Rob Harris will accompany the team as judges.
Stubbs, however, admitted that they are still trying to secure the necessary funding in time for the team to make the trip.
He noted that they are in dialogue with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture for their assistance in covering some of their expenses.
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