Bodybuilders ready to flex muscles
BODYBUILDERS from all over the Eastern Cape are gearing up to strut their stuff as the International Federation of Bodybuilding Eastern Cape (IFBBEC) will be hosting a provincial championships at the weekend.
The event will take place at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University's auditorium on the south campus on Saturday.
It aims to attract athletes from all over the province. The federation will then choose the best competitors to compete at the South African nationals in Cape Town later this year.
From this a South African team will be chosen to participate in the world championships.
IFBBEC public relations manager Terence Clarence said there were ways in which the interest and knowledge about bodybuilding could be increased, but with the limited funding it was often difficult to get the message out to less privileged communities.
"The IFBBEC is a non-profit organisation and all funds raised from events like this will be used to fund the players and their trips to the various competitions," Clarence said.
There will be a total of 16 divisions at the championships, four female division and 12 male divisions.
Divisions range from juniors up to seniors, and there will also be a masters division for over 40s for men.
Clarence said the criteria for athletes to get chosen to represent EP were very simple.
"If you win your division, you have a very good chance of being chosen to represent EP at the SA Championships," he said.
For the women the four divisions are beach bikini, fitness bikini, physique and fitness.
Clarence, whose wife Connie is a sponsored bodybuilder, says there were always misconceptions regarding the sport, especially in terms of women's competitions and the use of steroids in competitions.
"With my wife being a competitor, I know exactly what they go through – strict dieting and training," Clarence said.
The event starts at 8am with a weigh-in, which will last until 10am. The pre-judging show is set to start an hour later at 11am. The main show begins at 6pm. - Amir Chetty
