Belize Wins Big in Regional Bodybuilding Competition
Belizean bodybuilders made their mark in the Central American Championships held in El Salvador over the weekend. Mister Belize, Rigo Vellos, Veteran Bodybuilder, Clayton Greenidge and promising Novice Bodybuilder, Oyinkro Akpobodor, were in Santa Tecla La Libertad, El Salvador for the Central American Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. There, Belize secured five medals: one gold, two silvers and a pair of bronze medals. Twenty-one year old Akpobodor, who also goes by the name “Powa”, won the Under-Twenty-three category and also placed third in the heavyweight division for participants eighty-five kilos and more. Greenidge also brought home two trophies; he placed second in the Master’s Class and third in the middleweight category. Meanwhile, Mister Belize, Rigo Vellos, came in second in the heavyweight category for bodybuilders over eighty-five kilograms. The athletes returned home on Sunday and spoke of their experience and victories.
Oyinkro Akpobodor, Bodybuilder
Oyinkro Akpodobor
“We came back with five trophies overall….I won two, Rigo won one and Mister Clayton Greenidge run two as well. It was a great experience for me, first international competition and my second bodybuilding competition in all. So coming back with a first place and a third place as well is really good for me. I won first place overall for under twenty-three category. I beat six countries….Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize and Guatemala as well and I came out on top. Over eighty kilogram, I came in third place losing to Rigo Vellos, he came in second and a guy from Costa Rica beat us both.”
Duane Moody
“What does it say to the hard work over the year, coming in as a novice and of course going out and doing so well?”
Oyinkro Akpobodor
“Really good. I almost surprise myself. This has been a great year so far and looking forward to next year because so much competitions happening next year. Caribbean Games and also the next Central American Championship again. And I am twenty-one right now by the way and I have first place to get in the next two years coming and even more.”
Clayton Greenidge, Bodybuilder
“I’ve been doing bodybuilding now for like twenty-seven years. So I’ve competed at the highest level so it was not anything as I was afraid or anything like that. So I went out there and I did my best.”
Duane Moody
Clayton Greenidge
“You too brought home two trophies…tell us about the area within the discipline that you excelled.”
Clayton Greenidge
“Well in the middleweight or up to eighty-five kilos, I got third place and in the master’s I got second place. Now the guy who won the masters beat me by one point and he won the Central America and Caribbean three years in a row. So I wanted people to know that.”
