Michael Callender emerged as this country's top bodybuilder at Saturday's National Senior Bodybuilding Championships conceptualised and produced by the T&T Body Builders and Fitness Federation, held at the ballroom at the Cascadia Hotel and Conference Centre in St Ann's, Port-of-Spain.
Originally entered in the heavyweight category where he easily got the better of Lawrence Marlon Belfon, Callender returned to the spotlight in the men's overall category and met a field of star class athletes, many of whom were no strangers to winners' row.
They were Dennis Jagessar, winner of the Bantamweight category; Kelton Thomas (Light heavyweight and masters open); William Dexter Littrean (Welterweight) Jamaul Sanderson (Light middle weight) Adrian Amsterdam (middle weight) Fidel Sankar (Light heavyweight) Michael Callender (heavy weight) Cecil Augustus (super heavyweight).
Judging from the exhaustive period it took the judges to preside over this segment of the competition, it was clear that the panel of fitness experts were at odds in arriving at a unanimous decision.
The athletes were called centre-stage, asked to face the judges and audience for a little over five minutes, before the master of ceremonies then directed them to exit. They had not executed the mandatory poses.
They were again invited to take the spotlight. But not much happened after that. This scene had some members of the audience uneasy, while for others, it added to the drama and suspense they desired when on choosing the fitness event at their activity of choice for the event.
When tournament commissioner Perry Jereau called on athletes to begin executing their mandatories all gathered breathed a sigh of relief.
Callender emerged the winner.
Fiona Branker's win in the women's physique open was a clear, even though she was the lone competitor. The fitness educator was in fine form, to the satisfaction of all whose eyes rest on her remarkable definition and enviable cuts.
In the men's physique open, Rocky Kewley was returned as the champion, while Abeni Procope won the bikini fitness tall class.
But the audience challenged this verdict. Jamie Lee Phillips, who was slotted in third, was the crowd favourite.
The audience, however, got their revenge, it seemed, when Vanessa Hill, winner of the bikini fitness short class, beat Procope for the bikini fitness overall title.
T'Chelle Harris was declared the body fitness open champion over veterans Monisa Aleong and Andrea Mohess.
results
Men's Bantamweight
1 Dennis Jagessar
2 Brandon Lee Chong
Men's Lightweight Up To 70KG
1 Kelton Thomas
2 Sanjay Lutchman
3 Wazim Mohammed
Men's Welterweight (up to 75kg)
1 William Dexter Littrean
2 Atiba Barton
3 Vijay Gokool
Men's Masters Open
1 Kelton Thomas
2 Cecil Augustus
3 William Dexter Littrean
4 Lee Beatrice
5 Lawrence Marlon Belfon
6 Garfield Edwards
Women's Physique Open
1 Fiona Branker
Men's Light Middleweight
(up to 80 Kg)
1 Jamaul Sanderson
2 Cletious Julien
3 Bert Melville
4 Miguel Jagessar
Men's Middleweight (up to 85 Kg)
1 Adrian Amsterdam
2 Shimron Sookermany
3 Garfield Edwards
Men's Light Heavyweight
(up to 90 kg)
1 Fidel Sankar
2 Andy Rodriguez
3 Deon Aleong
Body Fitness Open
1 T'Chelle Harris
2 Monisa Aleong
3 Andrea Mohess
Bikini Fitness Short Class
1 Vanessa Hill
2 Zulema Charles
3 Carciea Silvana Samuel
4 Jasmin Leid
Men's Physique Open
1 Rocky Kewley
2 Timothy Lewis
3 Akeem Jackson
4 Sedale Spencer
5 Akhenaton Simmons
6 Kwesi Orr
Bikini Fitness Tall Class
1 Abeni Procope
2 Shannon Hutchinson
3 Jamie Lee Phillips
4 Charlene Procope
5 Christiana Cassie
Men's Heavyweight (up to 100kg)
1 Michael Callender
2 Lawrence Marlon Belfon
Men's Super-Heavyweight
(over 100kg)
1 Cecil Augustus
2 Lee Beatrice
Bikini Fitness Overall
1 Vanessa Hill
2 Abeni Procope
Body Fitness Winner
1 T'Chelle Harris
Men's Overall
1 Michael Callender
2 Fidel Sankar
3 Kelton Thomas
4 Jamaul Sanderson
5 Adrian Amsterdam
6 Cecil Augustus
7 William Dexter Littrean
8 Dennis Jagessar