Beauty and the Bodybuilder

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian body builders may have the chance to flex their muscle again at the SEA Games as the Indonesian Sports Council (KONI) is considering to offer the event in the 26th edition of the Games this November.

They should thanked Indonesian body builders, Asrelawandi (60kg) and Syafrizaldi (70kg) who won the gold medals in last year’s Asian Beach Games in Muscat, Oman, as their victories paved the way for KONI to consider including the sport in the coming SEA Games.

Body building was last contested in the Manila Games in 2005 and was not offered in the Korat, Thailand (2007) and Vientiane, Laos (2009) Games.

According to media reports from Jakarta, the final decision to select the number of sports and events at the Games which will be held at Jakarta and Palembang from Nov 11 to 20, will be made at a meeting in Bali, next month.

The report said Indonesia will use the Bali meeting to select several more sports to boost the republic’s chances of winning more golds.

KONI earlier had proposed to offer 577 events from 43 sports this year compared to 490 events from 43 sports when Jakarta last staged the bienniel event in 1997.

Indonesia is banking its gold medal hopes on badminton, weightlifting, indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, mountain biking and body building.

“I really hope we can do something to make body building a competitive event at the Games,” KONI chairwoman Rita Wibowo was quoted as saying.

“I am expecting the Indonesian Weightlifting, Body Building and Powerlifting Association to lobby the International Federation of Body builders to allow the sport at this year’s Games,” Rita said.

KONI had set a target of 180 gold medals for the national contingent at the Games, higher than the 145 gold medals set by Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Dr Andi Mallarangeng, or one-third of the total number of gold medals at stake

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