The Jamaica Bodybuilding and Fitness Association (JABBFA) officially launched its Novice, Junior, and Elite Bodybuilding Championships on Thursday, marking the start of an extended 2024 season. The launch event took place at the headquarters of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) on Cunningham Avenue in Kingston, setting the stage for an exciting year of bodybuilding and fitness competitions under the theme "Strong Minds, Strong Bodies: A Synergy of Physical Strength and Mental Wellness."
The 2024 Novice, Junior, and Elite Bodybuilding Championships will take place on Saturday, June 29th, 2024, at the Courtleigh Auditorium in Kingston. The event will commence at 7:00 pm, featuring 45 athletes from 12 gyms across eight parishes competing for top honours in their respective divisions.
Participants will vie for a range of prizes, including trophies, gift baskets, gift certificates, and gym memberships. The overall winners will qualify for the Elite Category and advance to the National Senior Championships later in the year, offering them a chance to further establish their prowess in the sport.
Kirk Frankson, President of JABBFA, highlighted the significance of the Novice, Junior, and Elite Championships as the season opener. "We've decided to extend our season; we're actually looking at having two new events. So in addition to our usual Novice, Junior and Elite Championships happening June 29 at the Courtleigh Auditorium, we're having on August 25, the Western Regional Championship at the Negril Tree House, September 28 is our regular National Senior Championships, and then on October 26, we're having our Jamaica Invitational. So that's our entire season," Frankson told Sportsmax.TV.
The Jamaica Invitational, in particular, is poised to become a major event on the bodybuilding calendar. JABBFA aims to make it a pro-qualifier, akin to prominent competitions in St. Maarten and Barbados. Frankson noted the challenges faced by Jamaican athletes in accessing pro-qualifier competitions in Europe and the USA, and emphasized the strategic shift to establish a local pro-qualifier.
"One of the difficulties that JABBFA struggles with like most sporting associations, is that the athletes had a challenge getting to pro-qualifier competitions in Europe, the USA, so we recognized that rather than trying to exert all of our energies by sending smaller teams, we're actually trying to re-direct our energies into having a pro-qualifier locally," he explained.
JABBFA has begun laying the groundwork for the Jamaica Invitational by training judges and setting up the necessary framework to host a pro-qualifier event. The long-term goal is to attract not only Caribbean athletes but also competitors from Europe and North America, thereby contributing to sports tourism in Jamaica.
Frankson mentioned the success of the Roger Boyce Championship in Barbados as a model they aim to replicate. "Barbados indicated that they started the Roger Boyce (championship) as an invitational and it's now the major pro-qualifier in the Caribbean, so we're replicating that where we are starting the Jamaica Invitational, as an invitational offering prize money and we are hoping that within the next three to five years it will be a pro-qualifier," he said.
A pro-qualifier is a contest that serves as a gateway to the IFBB PRO League, allowing competitors in each of the nine divisions to compete for a coveted IFBB PRO League card. This development promises to elevate the standard of bodybuilding in Jamaica and provide local athletes with greater opportunities to achieve professional status within the sport.
The championship is made possible by the support of sponsors including the Sports Development Foundation, Hyundai, Wisynco, Vitamalt and Gustazos among others.