As it turned out, the BAAA isn't the only local sporting organization strapped for cash, as it relates to sending off national teams to competition.

Danny Sumner, president of the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (BBFF), said yesterday that they too are looking for Corporate Bahamas to come on board as they prepare to send a 15-member team to the 41st Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. This year, the championships will be held September 19-21, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The team members are: Amy Sands, Naomi Fatal and Jheaneale Bahadosingh in the Bikini category; Dawnita Fry and Nicole Richardson in Body Fitness; Dawn Charlton in Women's Fitness; Kenlexis Mackey, Jonathan Richardson and Ethan Quant in Men's Physique; Lorraine Lefleur and Tamica Stubbs in Women's Bodybuilding; and Bernard Davis, two-time national champion Jimmy Norious, Sydney 'Butts' Outten and Lynden Fowler in Men's Bodybuilding.

The manager of the team is Derek Bullard, and he will be assisted by Glen Stubbs.

"The team is set and all ready for competition, but we're still welcoming Corporate Bahamas to come on board with us at this time," said Sumner. "The main goal going into the Dominican Republic is to improve on last year's showing when we came fourth in Puerto Rico. We want to get into the top three, and perhaps winning it all. It will be difficult, but I think the team is up to the task. I'm looking for us to win between 10-15 medals. All 15 competitors are medal worthy. It is a young but strong team, and I feel very good about their chances."

The Bahamas won seven medals in Puerto Rico last year, inclusive of gold medals by Dominique Wilkinson in Body Fitness and Tamica 'Tammy' Stubbs in the lightweight division in women's bodybuilding. However, the country hasn't had a pro card winner since three years ago in Grenada when third place finisher at the time Jay Darling benefitted from positive drug tests to the two front-runners to win the overall title. Darling finished third in the pose down for overall winner at the championships and was second in the Masters category, but was propelled to the winner's spot in both after the positive drug tests. At that time, he had won seven straight titles in his weight class, and by being declared the overall winner, he joined fellow male bodybuilders Charles Kemp and Joel Stubbs, female bodybuilder Gina Mackey and fitness athlete Natasha Brown as the only Bahamians to earn their pro cards at the CAC Bodybuilding & Fitness Championships.

As for this year's championships, Sumner said that about half of the members who are competing this year's team, are competing for the first time at this level.

"They're inexperienced, but they're good, and they're motivated by the fact that there will be six pro cards up for grabs this year," said Sumner. "It's a tough task against them but I feel good about them. From all indication, it is going to be a very competitive meet," he added.

As Sumner mentioned, this year, the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) is giving out six professional cards for overall winners in Men's Bodybuilding, Women's Bodybuilding, Bikini, Body Fitness, Overall Fitness and Men's Physique. At the world championships, every divisional winner is eligible to receive a pro card, and now at the regional level, the number has been increased to six.

"For a long time, countries have been looking forward to getting more of their athletes qualified to compete in the professional ranks, and now they have that," said Sumner. "I think that the competition will be more competitive because of it. The respective federations still have to apply on the athletes behalf after they would have earned the cards, but the main thing is that there are more to be earned right now and all of the athletes are happy about it. Our job as a federation is to guide and prepare the athletes for pro status, and then when they earn their pro cards they are on their own in terms of receiving invitations for pro shows and deciding what shows they want to go to. We feel very good about our chances this year," he added.

Sumner said that so far, about 20 countries have confirmed participation for the CAC Championships this month, but they expect that number to increase as other federations and countries stage their national championships this weekend. He said that their biggest competition this year should come from host country Dominican Republic, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Puerto Rico.

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