Recently accredited Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Bodybuilding judge, Franklin Brisport-Luke has missed one of the biggest chances to elevate himself as a judge and more so continue to fly the Golden Arrow Head high.
Brisport-Luke acquired the qualification at the CAC 2016 championships in the Dominican Republic (DR) but noted that sponsorship to make the trip was a very hectic process. This is also a problem that many local athletes who are looking to make a name for themselves on the international scene have faced.
“The trip to CAC was very hectic in terms of sponsorship and is hindering the development of sports” Brisport-Luke said.
CAC accredited judge, Franklin Brisport-Luke
The 49-year-old Lindener said based on his excellent performance at the CAC examinations, he was invited to take the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) examination in Curacao in December of 2016, however due to lack of sponsorship, Brisport-Luke was unable to become the nation’s second IFBB qualified judge. But what was particularly devastating for the judge was that he did not get the support from his hometown as he was expecting.
Brisport-Luke said, had it not been for his place of employment, the Demerara Harbour Bridge Incorporated and the President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson sponsoring him, he would have not made the trip to the DR either.
Brisport-Luke has since urged the business community in Linden, particularly the Mayor and town Council, the regional Democratic Council and BOSAI, who are the three major investors to invest in talents that are brewing.
While the former bodybuilder did not indulge in calling names, he highlighted that there is a trend in Guyana of sponsoring only a particular group of sports while forcing the others to salvage whatever is left of sponsors and this should not be, seeing that bodybuilding in 2016 had recorded by far Guyana’s best performance in the sport.
The next major international hurdle, Brisport-Luke pointed to was the Arnold Classic where he is hopeful of getting permission to write the exam as well as four other shows he has ear marked including Mexico, Curacao and Suriname. The CAC Judge related that the athletes of Guyana who go abroad are all ambassadors of the country and are working beyond what is required to put Guyana on the map and this is already becoming the reality of bodybuilding with the likes of Kerwin Clarke, Emmerson Campbell, Alisha Fortune and Bruce Whatley.
