The Guyana Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GABBFF) is planning to ensure that the 32nd Annual Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships it will host in October will be memorable for Guyana.
And it hopes that the competition will spark the development of the fitness-related activity which could provide such benefits as better eating habits, induce better sleeping patterns and assist an individual to deal better with stress beyond the initial spike in economic activity that the competition would bring for hotels, tour companies, the airlines, street vendors, and myriad other businesses.
But hosting the championships will present challenges for the GABBFF, the City of Georgetown and the country as a whole.
Bodybuilders from thirty-eight countries are expected to be competing at the games. Unlike their Caribbean and Guyanese sisters women in the Central American countries are into weight training and dominate the female championships. According to Yale Holder, president of the GABBFF and vice-president of the regional body, weight training apart from the obvious benefit of looking fit and trim, allows an individual to deal better with stress, increase their stamina and improve their health.
It is by far the largest international sporting event that has been held here and the local bodybuilding association is confident that it can make the games the best ever held in the region and so raise the bar for the organising of future championships.
The GABBFF expects some 200 athletes and officials and about 500 supporters to be at the championships, plus the facilitators and participants in the Sports Coaches' seminar that the IFFBB will run here during that week.
Donald Sinclair, the GABBFF secretary and coordinator of the preparations for the championships describes it as a major planning experiment, explaining "many said we couldn't do it and some others said that we would have great difficulty in bringing off the championships."
Promotional features
But he says that GABBFF plans to have some fanfare features to increase the impact of the championships and to elevate the standard of the regional competition to that of the international championships. One such feature, he said, is the Fitness Expo that would be mounted in the upper and lower lobbies of the National Cultural Centre (NCC), the venue of the championships, at which a number of companies would be exhibiting exercise equipment and dietary supplements, apparel and other paraphernalia of the fitness industry. Companies in the tourist industry have also indicated their intention to participate.
Holder told Current Affairs that from the beginning his organisation has had to work hard to overcome the scepticism about the country's ability to host the event and the negative imagery created by the wave of violent crime that engulfed the country following the February 23, 2002 jailbreak. He said that the power point information package that was put together was unprecedented in the history of the games.
He said that in their initial promotional visits the crime wave was the first question that came up, especially among the overseas Guyanese community to whom they spoke in Canada and the United States of America. The GABBFF has targeted the overseas Guyanese communities with a "Homecoming Week" campaign through which they are being urged to "come for the championships and be part of the adventure". In addition to the promotional visits, the communities are being targeted through email and advertisements in the community newspapers in Toronto and New York.
The period in question is September 19 - October 3 during which visits to resorts and special entertainment evenings are being arranged in addition to attendance at the Championships.
In addition to the Caribbean and North America, the GABBFF has also targeted Suriname which has missed a few championships, touting the relatively cheap cost of living here as against the venues of previous competitions which would allow them to send a contingent of athletes at a fraction of the cost.
GABBFF has set up a three-man coordinating committee which oversees the work of various sub-committees which are looking at, among other things, venue and contest, transportation and accommodation, security and logistics.
National Cultural Centre
Holder who heads the sub-committee looking at the venue and the competition said that the NCC management has been very cooperative. He said that in terms of preparedness in accordance with the CAC guidelines, the NCC is almost here. He said that having installed a new set of lights last year, the Centre has the required candle power and CAC officials will assist the committee in the proper placement of the lights nearer the date of the competition.
Holder said too that the NCC has the requisite size stage, dressing rooms and space for the warm-up areas that the CAC regulations say must be provided. He pointed out too that the NCC has back-up facilities should there be a power outage and that arrangements are being put in place to ensure the generator there is in working order.
In terms of accommodation, both Sinclair and Holder say that the local hotels are preparing to offer special rates for visitors coming for the championships.
CAC require the competitors and officials to be accommodated at one hotel but Holder says that the GABBFF had permission to house them at the Tower and Le Meridien Pegasus.
Sinclair said that at this time there are no firm numbers and that these would not be indicated until around late August by which time the various countries would have held their national championships and would be in a position to select their teams.
While the athletes would have completed their heavy training before coming to Guyana, Sinclair says that there will be facilities available for those who would want to do some last-minute fine-tuning. He explained that the GABBFF has already explored with the management of an identified facility the possibility of reserving it exclusively for the use of the overseas competitors.
Monument
In terms of other preparations, Sinclair and Holder said that they have approached the Mayor and City Council to have the junction at Homestretch and Mandela Avenues named CAC Junction and are awaiting a formal response. However, they say that informally there is support for the proposal.
Sinclair explained that there is precedent for such a proposal, citing Carifesta Avenue which was so named to commemorate the first Caribbean Festival of Arts that was held here in 1972.
He indicated that thought is being given for a suitable monument that could be erected there to mark the holding of the championships in Guyana.
They also explained that they expect that the M&CC would appropriately maintain the approaches to the NCC from the hotel as part of the normal cleansing regime. They note too that GUYEXPO will end at the beginning of the week leading up to the Championships and that it would provide the opportunity for City Hall to present a proper image of the city.
Sponsors
In terms of promotions, Sinclair says that some of the bigger corporations have been very supportive. He singled out a number of companies including BWIA, GT&T, North American Airlines, IPA, Guyoil, Neal and Massy, as being on board in promoting the championships.
He said that BWIA has already pledged to assist with the travel arrangements for the CAC officials who will be at the games and have made special fares for the promotional tours to Canada for three officials.
Sinclair said too that BWIA would also be participating in the trade exhibition being mounted in Trinidad and Tobago and would at that time "have some good news for those Trinidadians who are coming for the championships. He said that the GABBFF is targeting the twin-island republic as it wants a large Trinidad contingent of supporters at the championships.
North American Airlines will also be providing special fares for persons coming to the Championships from New York.
Sinclair said too that Banks DIH would be erecting a 30-foot statue near the NCC on Mandela Avenue to promote the championships and he describes the company as one of its major sponsors. The monument is to be erected in September.
Outside the NCC, Sinclair said that the flags of the countries will be flown for a number of weeks leading up to the competition. The flags have been donated by overseas-based Guyanese attorney, Mayo Robertson, and a special flag-raising ceremony is being planned.
GT&T, Sinclair says, will be providing the championship organisers with a unique marketing opportunity by promoting the competition on its Freedom Card, of which it sells some 150000 monthly. It will also be hosting the welcome banquet and providing the various trophies up for grabs.
He said too that a Souvenir Programme is planned and that would be launched nearer the date the competition begins.
Government support
Both Sinclair and Holder said that the government is being very supportive. Last week President Jagdeo announced that he would be hosting the farewell banquet for the athletes and officials and Holder says that the government has also been facilitating the issue of visas where necessary and other entry- and-exit formalities at the airport.
Sinclair said that the games should cost in the region of $17 million but that financial pledges and in-kind sponsorships would reduce the amount the GABBFF has to raise to around less than half that amount.
However, he expects that nearer the competition more sponsors are likely to come onboard.
In terms of local participation in the competition, Sinclair said that Selvon Gardiner would be defending the bantamweight championship he won in The Bahamas last year as well as Paul Nichols who won a bronze medal in the lightweight competition and Mike Morris who placed fourth behind Gardiner.
He said too that he expects that the female bodybuilders would do well in the figure competition. He explained that the judges of the figure competitions for women look for such things as low levels of fat as well as tone, firmness and shape of the body.
=The selection of the Guyana team, Sinclair said, would be done after the local championships scheduled to be held in July.