The National?Sports Council (NSC) must be congratulated for the staging of the Tiger Malt Mr Schoolboy Bodybuilding and Miss Body Fitness Championships last Friday.
They attracted a record 98 competitors from primary, secondary and tertiary institutions – a tremendous improvement over last year.
Kudos must go to Mr Schoolboy Jeffrey Gay and Miss Body Fitness Shaniqua Allamby and other achievers like Franeeza Beresford, Edon Springer, Latisha Corbin, Charise Taylor, Keiza Goodman-Hinds, Jada Paris, Sankara Price, DaQuan Jones and Mary Fraser.
But the NSC must take stock of the declining quality of the participants as well as the continuing poor organization of the championships.
For example, the registration of competitors continues to be a problem. While the NSC wants to accommodate everyone, it is nonsense to have teachers turning up in the middle of competition asking and being allowed to register students. Is there not a cut-off date for entries?
That situation confuses the MC, who would have been following a programme, as well as the DJ who then scrambles to cue up unplanned music.
Ironically, Gay only registered on the evening of the competition; as did Angel Boyce of Combermere, who placed second in Miss Body Fitness.
Some of the shortcomings were not the fault of helpful NSC bodybuilding coach Valence Humphrey, who coordinated this year’s edition.
High praise must be rendered to brand manager Horace Walker and Tiger Malt for sponsoring the 2012 edition after there was no sponsor last year.
While the public laments the negative antics of the youth, how many are prepared to assist the hundreds of positive youths, like those who take part in the bodybuilding championships?
Schools such as Wilkie Cumberbatch, Christ Church Girls’, Bay Primary, George Lamming, St Paul’s, Lawrence T. Gay, The Lodge School, Christ Church Foundation, Alexandra, The Government Industrial School, Deighton Griffith, the Barbados Community College and the Alleyne School must be applauded for consistently turning out youngsters every year.
The role of no-nonsense MC Ivor Worrell, who knows bodybuilding as well as protocol, adds to the class of the competitions, while David “Noddy” Alleyne, Adrian Donovan, Sonja Knight, Monette Wharton and Marcia Trotman continue to play key roles behind the scenes.
One final sour note is the lack of accommodation for media photographers, like myself, who have to practise the arts of invisibility and gymnastics in trying to shoot the best photos from behind the heads of judges without blocking the spectators.
Even so, the NSC has a launchpad to return Mr Schoolboy and Miss Body Fitness to the glory years of yesteryear.
