We need to flex our muscle to get bodybuilding on the national agenda, say buff athletes

A lack of national funding and a misconception that bodybuilding is a “dirty” sport hinder its growth at a competitive level. 

That is according to local bodybuilders speaking on the sidelines of a recent event held in Durban. 

“I spent around R11,000 preparing for the show because I love this sport. People undermine it and see it as an unhealthy and dirty sport because they think we take drugs that are not permissible, but that is not the truth.

“I don’t buy any drugs from the black market, only supplements from credible retail shops”, said Sabelo Mvubu, the KwaZulu-Natal East Coast Classic (KZNECC) 2022 bodybuilder winner.

He was speaking to TimesLIVE at the intermediate bodybuilding show held last Saturday in Durban.

The show was aimed at developing the fitness sport which athletes pursue to strengthen their muscles.

Mvubu said another reason why many athletes do not participate competitively is the lack of funding for Bodybuilding SA and the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBBF). This means there isn’t sufficient financial incentive for participants who invest substantially to ensure they are in proper shape.

Bernard Groenewald, executive national chief judge and IFBBF judge, said from the little support the federation receives they can only afford to give athletes trophies and medals and the rest goes towards the cost of staging the show.

“ This is a voluntary sport. It is very difficult to get sponsors on board. We try our best to obtain sponsors but what we basically need is support from local government to say we are developing our future athletes. Anything that goes into our bank account is spread out to our athletes. We end up with zero balance”, he said.

The chair of Bodybuilding KwaZulu-Natal Darren Hubraj told TimesLIVE Bodybuilding SA is the only federation in the country affiliated to the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) but receives minimal support from it.

“ Assistance from Sascoc is minimal. The support we get from the national federation will be used  to host the SA national championship to raise funds to send the SA team to the world championship that will be held between October and November. A lot of money is directed to the SA national squad because taking a team to the world championship costs an average R40,000 per athlete. This year’s championship is in Spain.

“ This includes accommodation, flights, visas and incurred costs. I will be happy if the department of sports, arts and culture funds bodybuilding more, but it is not mainstream like football, rugby or tennis.

“On Saturday we had an intermediate show, meaning it runs through novice and provincial. On August 24 our team will represent us at the SA national championships.

The SA national championships were supposed to be hosted in Durban but this failed because of the economic climate.

“SA funding doesn’t enable us to access European markets as the rand is weakcompared to the British pound and the Euro,” said Hubraj.

He said athletes have to self-fund when participating in provincial and national events.

“Officials do not receive a salary from the federation. All the support we get goes towards developing bodybuilding.”

Shannon Leeman,26, who was crowned overall winner in womens’ category at KZNECC, said she wants to represent SA in the world championships this year.

“I  have more focus than ever. Don’t let anybody tell you you cannot do it if it is something you want to do. Work hard and you will achieve it”, she said.

The provincial show will be hosted in August, and the winners will represent the province in the national show in Rustenburg the following month.

Mvubu said if he wins at the provincial show it will be difficult to go to the national event because of the financial burden.

TimesLIVE

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