Jonathan?Nana has won the Mr Schoolboy and Mr Teenager muscle titles. Now he wants Mr Bridgetown as well.
The 22-year-old Nana is hoping that youth prevails over experience tonight at the oldest running bodybuilding contest in the land, the Mr Bridgetown, to be held at the Combermere School hall.
Nana told the SATURDAY?SUN he was in his best ever shape and would seek to pound the stage with 170 pounds of muscle to challenge the resilient Michael Worrell and contest favourite Joseph “Runt”?Bourne.
“It’s the best I have ever looked. I think I am in decent shape. Last year, I took fourth in the Mr Bridgetown and I am looking forward to moving up a spot or two,” he said.
Mr Bridgetown, the showpiece of late promoter Delbert “Kojak”?Bannister, dates back to 1956, and outside of the National Championships, is arguably the most prized jewel for a local bodybuilder.
This year’s champion will join a list of impressive names that includes Moses Ashby (1971), Tyrone Boyce (1972), Jeffrey Reid (1973), Orlando Blenman (1979) and David “Noddy”?Alleyne (1990).
Bourne, based on experience and his form last October when he was second in the open contest at the Darcy Beckles Invitational Classic, remains the man to beat.
But contest preparation has usually been an issue for him – that is, hitting that peak and getting in shape on contest night.
If Bourne gets it right and can reproduce the vascularity of last year, he will walk away with the Mr Bridgetown first place trophy.
His sternest challenge will come from the Strike Force Gym duo of Nana and Worrell, the latter having made a successful transition from cricket in which he represented Barbados and West Indies “B”?teams.
Nicholas Benjamin is also seeking to make his mark. He is flexing muscle on behalf of Valley Fitness, and there is a debutant in the line-up in Cyprian Mallett, who is representing Flawless Concepts.
Mr Teenager will have three entrants in DaQuan Jones, Renico Whittaker and Myekelti Clarke of the Stadium Gym, while Mr Novice has three men, including Nicholas Maloney. Dwayne Cumberbatch, who is under the guidance of two-time Mr Barbados winner Roger Boyce, is also in the line-up for the Mr Novice crown, along with Jason Bowen of Valley Fitness Zone in Dash Valley.
In the junior body fitness, Shanequa Allamby and Macara Thornhill of Brute Force Gym are among five females entered. The others are Kinesha Cumberbatch and Nakisha Downes of the Stadium Gym along with Angelee Boyce of Body By Kirk.
Samantha Waithe of the Strike Force Gym in Stadium Road is the only entrant so far for the senior body fitness.
Bikini Fitness has proven to be hit with fans and in the senior competition, Shakira Doughlin and Paulette Stuart are entered while Chloe Davis and Ashley Dyall are battling it out in the junior category.
