AN 11-member team has been selected by the Bahamas Bodybuilding, Wellness and Fitness Federation to participate in the 52nd Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships.

The championships are scheduled for September 26-28 at the Pavilion on the Ramp in Rodney Bay, St Lucia, and The Bahamas will be represented by eight men and three women.

Wellington “Cat” Sears, president of the BBWFF, will travel as the national coach, and he will be assisted by Cunningham, who is also the assistant secretary of the BBWFF. 

Dr Remington Rolle is the team manager and Charles Sealy, Simone Sawyer, Tove McDonald and Henrick Sands will be travelling as test judges at the championships. 

Sands will play a dual role as an IT (information technology) consultant.

As a result of their performances at the federation’s recent National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships held at the University of the Bahamas, named to Team Bahamas are the following:

Ryan Payne (men’s physique), George Wilson (men’s physique), Judah Forbes (men’s physique), Khalid Ross (men’s muscular physique and men’s classic bodybuilding), Kyle King (men’s muscular physique and men’s classic bodybuilding), Rashad Cunningham (men’s fitness and men’s classic bodybuilding), Alexander Kemp (men’s fitness, men’s physique, men’s fit model and men’s fit challenge), Orick Nesbitt (men’s bodybuilding and men’s masters bodybuilding), Shantae Rahming (junior bikini, bikini open and women’s fit model), Denica Thompson (bikini wellness), and Jackie Cleare (bikini open and bikini masters).

Last year, the federation took a four-member team to the championships in Georgetown, Guyana, returning with four medals, including three silver and a bronze.

Sears is hoping for a much better result with a bigger team.

But he noted that it will be hard-pressed for The Bahamas to get back to its last overall success as champions in 2008.

It is estimated to cost the federation around $30,000 to compete in this year’s championships.

The event which will feature between two to 300 athletes from 25 countries.