Anguilla was represented at the 37th Annual Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Federation over the past weekend. The delegation led by Haydn Hughes, President of the local chapter of the IFBB (Anguilla Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation) arrived in Grenada on Thursday, 30th September.

Anguilla team representatives

The team consisted of Celestine Pradel, IFBB test judge and judge trainee, Joseph Pradel; team coach, Haydn Hughes; Verdine Connor Mr. Anguilla 2008; Desmond Paul, Mr. Anguilla 2009 and Alphonsene Williams competitor for Ms. Body fitness 168 cm class.

The weigh ins and measurements were on Thursday 30th September and Friday 1st October followed by the athletes meeting on Saturday afternoon at 3 pm and the prejudging at 5 pm. The prejudging lasted until 10:45pm and a total of 133 competitors representing 19 countries participated.
Six athletes were selected from each of the 20 categories for the Saturday night finals. Verdene Connor and Desmond Paul competed in the Light-middle weight category (165.1 lbs to 176 lbs). This was also the largest category comprising some 16 competitors representing 10 countries. Verdene and Paul did not make it to the Saturday night finals but Alphonsene Williams did and compared very well. While she did not make the medal stage, she received many positive and encouraging words from judges, delegates and others. Many of the judges stated that she had made tremendous gains and improvement s and with further improvements, will make the medal stage very soon.
The finals started at 5 pm and finished at 1:30 am culminating with the crowning of 4 new IFBB professionals. They were Martin Durrant of Barbados, light heavyweight; Candice Carr-Archer, women’s bodybuilding heavyweight; Magda Galloza Carrero, body fitness under 168c of Puerto Rico; and Nicole Carter of Barbados in the women’s fitness. Barbados won best team for the second year in a row. The 10 judge panel for each division was rotated on several occasions.

Anguilla was represented at all of the IFBB CACBBF 37th annual congress by Haydn Hughes. The minutes were read for the 2008 Congress and amended where applicable. Haydn Hughes petitioned to host the competition on Anguilla in 2012 at its 40th anniversary. There were no dissenting voices but the criteria was articulated which will include a country inspection by the IFBB, a letter of support by the minister of sports in the government of Anguilla, a letter from the identified place of accommodations, a letter from the personnel responsible for the venue, a letter from the national federation and a letter from the tourism department. San Salvador sent their Olympic committee to lobby for the hosting of the event in their country in 2010, and while they garnered lots of support from the other Central American countries, they lost in the 3-way race to Aruba whose new government also lobbied to have the event hosted there. Puerto Rico was 3rd in the vote. (Each country had one vote.) Anguilla was also featured at the presentation of the judging seminar certificates to Severin and Celestine Pradel.
The event in Grenada was hailed as a grand success by Governor General of Grenada, Sir Carlyle Glean, and Minister of Tourism Glynis Roberts, who saw it both as a display of health and wellbeing and an economic injection for the local economy that has been hard hit by global financial meltdown. It was also attended by several Ministers of Government, the local and international media, Flex Magazine and the Olympic committees of several of the participating countries.
The Anguilla Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation wishes to thank, Ms. Dianne Norris, Caribbean Cable Communications, Le Severin Fitness, Dungeon Gym and Junie Fleming of Superior Industry equipment for their contributions the and Anguilla Travel Services for their understanding.

The local Federation is holding an invitational on 21st November and competitors have been invited from the St. Maarten/St. Martin. The event will be held at the Rodney MMacarthour Auditoriun
-Contributed

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