Everything on track for year-end staging of Mr Guyana competition

…Bess confident that future of bodybuilding is in good hands

By Timothy Jaikarran

The year 2022 is facing its inevitable end, and the Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GBBFF) is seeking to host its “Mr Guyana” championship before then. According to GBBFF President Keavon Bess, all plans have been finalised, and the GBBFF is gearing up for the year-end spectacle.
In an interview with this publication, Bess was asked about the Mr Guyana competition, and he replied as follows: “Plans for Mr Guyana are coming along well. We have had an executive meeting to discuss the framework that has to be put in place for a successful event. We have looked in all different angles, and the date we have in mind for having Mr Guyana, (in order for it to) be a successful competition this year. The most important thing is the funding we need (in order) to pull off the competition. We are looking to reach out to our sponsors and potential sponsors, so as to give rewards to the top finishing athletes.”
Bess noted that the athletes have been training assiduously, and he anticipates that the best of the best would be competing at Mr Guyana. He explained that, based on the tremendous turnout the GBBFF has had at CAC in Barbados, everyone is eager to see how those who had not gone to CAC would fare against those who had gone there.
He is confident that the competition is going to be intense and very interesting, as he believes everyone would be out to challenge the reigning athletes in the different categories.
He also divulged that with Rosanna Fung gaining her Pro rank card in the Wellness category at CAC, more female athletes would be seeking the chance to take a shot at the title this year, so as to become the next face of female bodybuilding in Guyana.
“The door is open, and it means well for the sport, as, when we have females in the sport, you can tell the sport is doing well. Once females are on stage, the guys are on stage as well. The females being on stage is the acid test to see how they are doing in bodybuilding. For the past three years, there have been a lot of females on stage, and a lot (have been) going to represent Guyana overseas. So, I think the litmus test has proven in our favour that bodybuilding is doing well in Guyana,” Bess has declared.
Bess also related that he is proud of Rosanna Fung, as the last time a female athlete had gained a Pro Rank card was in 1979. He explained that it does well for the sport and the development of the women’s category in bodybuilding in Guyana.
In regard to the young and upcoming athletes in the sport, Bess touted that they are “coming up sharp”, with the necessary understanding and biology of the sport.
“I can say bodybuilding is on the right trajectory, and there (is) a lot of young blood to dominate the stage after the older ones would have retired from the sport or taken a back seat. So, there is enough in the chamber to keep the sport going for many years,” Bess has posited.