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IFBB out of Pan Am GamesDate: 06.07.2007
Posted by: Anabolic Info Team Bahamas
Bodybuilders throughout the Caribbean and Central America had their muscles deflated when it was announced that the sport of bodybuilding would not be a part of this year's Pan American Games.
The Bahamas was made aware of the decision via e-mail to President of the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, Danny Sumner.
The announcement has sent shock waves throughout the bodybuilding communities within the Caribbean and Central America regions, as many bodybuilders were preparing themselves to compete in the Games.
Sumner said that there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the announcement by the organisers of the Pan Am Games.
"Bodybuilding was featured in the Pan Am Games as an invited sport," said Sumner, in an exclusive interview with The Freeport News.
"Bodybuilding is not an Olympic sport and we know that. But the Pan American Organization has been inviting bodybuilding to the Games for the past 10-15 years as a guest sport."
Sumner pointed out that on one or two occasions, the conditions that were given out to the IFBB did not meet the standards or criteria that they were looking for. So, the decision was made not to have bodybuilding in the Games this year.
However, he said that it was the decision of the IFBB to pull out of the Pan Am Games, and that it was not forced out, as some may have thought.
Sumner said that the sport is expected to make a return to the Pan Am Games in 2011.
"Apparently, whatever discussions that were made between the IFBB and the Pan Am Organization, they came to the conclusion to have the sport back in the Games in 2011," said Sumner.
Sumner admitted that The Bahamas was preparing a number of bodybuilders to take part in the Pan Am Games this year.
He added that this decision by the IFBB does not affect just Bahamian bodybuilders, but bodybuilders throughout the Caribbean.
"The Pan Am Games is very prestigious because it is the next step to the Olympics," said Sumner. "More than 39 countries have been affected by this decision.
"Getting to compete in the Pan Am Games is based on one's credentials and an athlete's past performance. So, yes, some of our bodybuilders who were looking forward to competing in the Games are very disappointed."
The last time The Bahamas competed at the Pan Am Games was in Santa Domingo in 2005 and the IOC had a team from the Olympic Committee in Santa Domingo overseeing the entire bodybuilding program.
Since that time, there has been a presidential change within the IOC and Sumner believes that's the reason for the sport not being allowed in the Olympics.
"When Samural was president, the IFBB received a letter from him accepting bodybuilding as a sport on the threshold of becoming an Olympic sport," explained Sumner.
"The letter we received was a letter officially recognizing bodybuilding as an Olympic Sport. The next step was the sport being included in the Olympic Program. But with the change of the presidency, that first letter of credentials was no good and now we have to almost start all over again in trying to get bodybuilding recognised as an Olympic sport."
In the meantime, Bahamian bodybuilders who were intent on attending the Pan Am Games must now adjust their training and dieting and perhaps try to attend the Southern States Championships set for next month.
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