Gaborone hosts body-building championships

NELSON DIRENG
Correspondent | Friday June 25, 2010 00:00

The contest is organised by newly-established body-building company, Designer Physique. The company's chief executive officer, Lust Sithole, said he expects an exciting show as body-builders all over the country have been invited. There will be the men's junior and senior competitions and the senior women's event. The men's senior category will be divided into weight categories.

Sithole said the contestants will be judged in the relax, compulsory and the freestyle poses. He explained that under the poses, judges will look at the athlete's body proportion, symmetry, density and definition looking at thickness and muscle separation.

'This stage requires the athlete's muscles to be hard and dry like biltong,' he said. Sithole added that the final pose - freestyle - will be used to judge the creativity and flexibility of an athlete. In this stage, athletes pose in their preferred stances.

The overall winner will not be selected according to size. Sithole said body-building entails many aspects, the most important being the balance of the athletes' lower and upper body. 'Most athletes, however, fail to build their lower bodies as it is hard to build the legs,' he explained. Sithole stated that some athletes fail in competitions because of lack of discipline. He said that most of them do not stick to strict diets, which makes it difficult for them to maintain proportionate bodies.

He said the aim of the Sunday competition is to promote body-building as a sport in Botswana. Botswana has been represented once at the Mr Universe body-building competition where Edson 'Superman' Msariri came seventh.

Body-builder, Steve Obotseng, who has been a middle-weight champion in different local competitions, said he is in his best shape ever and he aims to win Sunday's contest. 'The competition is going to be tough but I would like to warn my competitors as they say the bigger they come, the harder they fall,' he said.

Other notable contenders are Champion Chienderanamo, Eddie Naloiso (junior) and Tlholego Mosekiemang. The women's category will feature two of the most prominent female body-builders in Botswana, Olga de Moon and Tonic Ntshupeng who are expected to give each other stiff competition. Mr Iron Man Zimbabwe, Sugar Sugar is expected to grace the competition as a guest poser. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three competitors in every category. Winners will receive P3,000, while first and second runners up will be given P2,000 and P1,000 respectively. The overall champion will pocket P5,000. Those who finish in positions four to six will be awarded body-building supplements. The competition's best poser will walk away with P500.