Virtual Bodybuilding championship tentatively set for December

The Guyana Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GABBFF) is planning to host a celebratory championship on a Virtual platform, which means no patrons would be allowed to enter the venue.

President of the Federation, Keavon Bess, explained the event has a tentative date of December 5 since it requires numerous logistical inputs.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the federation had to cancel majority of its planned activities for 2020, but executives are hoping they can still give athletes the stage at the National Cultural Centre before the year is out.

“We have had this in thoughts for a very long time and after seeing approval from most of the athletes, we came to the conclusion we can do such a competition,” Bess told News Room Sport Tuesday.

The format in which the competition would be done will see athletes on stage, observing physical distancing while the judges will sit six feet apart and backstage coaching will be prohibited; only athletes, judges and officials will be allowed in the venue.

Bess said he expects about 20 athletes to compete across all the usual weight categories, along with Men’s Physique and Miss Bikini.

With gyms closed as part of COVID-19 measures, the President said there will be leniency on judging since it is not a Mr. Guyana event.

“It will not be the Mr. Guyana competition because gyms are closed and the elite athletes especially are not being able to train and athletes, in general, can’t get to train, they can’t get to do weight training, probably some might have access to some cardio training machinery. For the heavy lifting required athletes don’t have access to that so we are cognisant of that fact.”

He added: “So the competition would be one for the athletes to show-off their off-season body, but it will still be highly competitive.”

The event will be streamed live on the federation’s various social media platforms.