[u]National Bodybuilding Championships today at Plantation Garden . . … The Past vs the Future[/u]
COMPETITION promises to be very keen and exciting at the 2008 Twinlab National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships, which will be held today at the Plantation Garden Theatre, St. Lawrence, Christ Church, starting at 6 p.m.
Presented by the Barbados Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (BABBFF), the championships featuring the cream of the nations bodybuilders will be used to select teams for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Championships in the Bahamas, as well as the World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic later in the year.
The division winners will face off in the end to determine who should be crowned Mr. Barbados and provide a thrilling climax, which is eagerly awaited by muscle fans. To have a chance at the overall title, the battle begins within each category.
The lightweight division will provide an intriguing showdown between Patrick Harris, the former CAC Bantamweight Champion, Marlon Hinds, also a former CAC champion and Laron Gibson, the CAC Junior and Eastern Caribbean Lightweight Champion, who is still improving after a 7th place at the 2007 World Junior Championships. They will all have to closely watch John Batson, who was in the shape of his life at the recent Bridgetown competition and is ready to cause a major upset. John Stoute of Oceans 2 gym has refined his package and now has the definition to be a contender.
Hinds, who represents Fitness Workshop, has not competed for many years and sources say that he carries excellent size, mature muscle and good condition. He will be surrounded by the three Fitness Solution warriors and Stoute.
Samuel Eastmond of Fudge Gym is the lone Bantamweight.
In the junior division, Laron Gibson will be stretched to the limit in his rematch with Ramon Broomes of Oceans 2 gym. Damian Harewood, Mr. Schoolboy 2007, and Jonathan Nana of Fitness Solutions will complete the high-quality junior field.
In the middle divisions, Owen McCollin has recovered after a lacklustre showing at Mr. Bridgetown to his muscular best and will try to overcome Therold Babb and Ramon Broomes in the middleweight category.
The undisputed king of the middleweights in Barbados and at the CAC level is Hoskin biscuits Worrell. If Worrell can successfully defend his title, then the coveted Mr. Barbados title lost in a tiebreaker last year to Martinus Durrant may finally be his.
Babb, of Unique Fitness, was third in the Middleweight division this year at the Eastern Caribbean Championships behind the eventual winner Anderson fish Bispham. The 2006 and 2007 National Welterweight Champions, Christopher Belle and Bispham respectively, will duel in the welterweight with Kevin Turton. Kevin has trained at the Stadium gym and will try to end the dominance of the Fitness Solutions duo.
The light heavy and heavyweight categories will introduce the Oceans 2 newcomers Jerome Greenidge and Rene Griffith. They are tired of watching from the audience and will mix it up with the big boys.
Ricardo Bascombe of Superior Fitness was narrowly defeated by Mr. Barbados Martinus Durrant last year and promises to be even better than before. He is hoping to make the final pose-down this year by dominating the light heavyweights.
Richmael Wiggins is always one of the best conditioned athletes on stage and has taken a few years off to build a heavyweight physique.
William Prescott will let his body do the talking today. Prescott is blessed with the best proportions and symmetry seen by a bodybuilder in recent memory. Time will tell if this will be the year that Prescott gives us the complete package.
No matter what happens, there will be fireworks today at the Plantation Garden Theatre!