Bicolano body builders bag 1st IFBB Bicol Cup awards
By Zyra Ponce
Some 30 athletes competed and participated in the 1st International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Bicol Championship competition held at SM City Naga on March 13.
The event was attended by IFBB Philippines President Rowena Walters, Bodybuilding athlete and coach Wins Hipe and Ralph Sales, IFBB Bicol Cup organizer.
The IFBB is an international governing body of the sport in bodybuilding and fitness founded in 1946.
Bicolano bodybuilders
This year’s competition was divided into six categories, namely: Men’s Physique Bicol Exclusive; Men’s Physique New Comer; Men’s Physique Natural; Men’s Physique Open; Men’s Bodybuilding Bicol Exclusive; BodyBuilding 70 kg and below; and Men’s Physique Over-all.
According to Sales, the conduct of the event was really challenging after the two years hiatus in the bodybuilding sport.
“Grabe yung preparation nila kasi two years na they were not competing and here they are, here we are naglaunch kami rito ng event so definitely maganda siya,” Sales said.
He stressed that the launch of the 1st IFBB Bicol Championship competition followed necessary health protocols and undergone precautionary measures to the participants.
“Before naibaba yung alert level, we already told the athletes to secure vaccination cards [and] observe social distancing” Sales added.
Meanwhile, the champions for each category were as follows: Jose Dagsil (Camarines Norte) for Men’s Physique Bicol Exclusive; Rayven Tuazon (Pampanga) for Men’s Physique New Comer; Christian Navarro for Men’s Physique Natural; Julius Gozales for Men’s Bodybuilding Bicol Exclusive; Michael Estera for BodyBuilding 70 kg and below; and Steven Matt Mendeoya for Men’s Physique Open Steven and Men’s Physique Over-all.
“I want to share it to the people [here] in Bicol. I want to inspire, definitely yung gustong matuto ng sports na ito” Sales said in his message encouraging the Bicolano athletes in mainstreaming the bodybuilding as a sport.
Another IFBB event is scheduled in the region on June 4-5 at the Legazpi City Convention Center.