Bodybuilder aims for gold

By NATHAN WOTI
UPNG Journalism Student
NATIONAL bodybuilding silver medallist in the 75kg division Dominic Yuanis aims to secure a gold medal in the upcoming national championships.
He came second in his 75kg-80kg division at last year’s national titles staged in Kundiawa, Chimbu and is confident he can make the improvements to win his division and compete for the overall title.
Yuanis told The National that he was currently in training to and looking to bring up his lagging body parts and hit his peak conditioning and hardness for the national titles.
“I’m in perfect shape at the moment,” he said. “The organisers have yet to confirm the date and venue of the show, so I’m using this free time to train in the gym,” he said.
The 23-year-old from Jiwaka aims to reach the same heights fellow Jiwaka native and Pacifc champion Donald Kaiwi.
He won a bronze medal at the 2018 national titles in his debut in the 80kg division and said last year he had improved to claim a silver medal. This year he would accept nothing less than a gold medal.
Yuanis said growing up he had idolised Kaiwi and hoped to one day emulate him and win a Pacific Championship.
“Every aspiring sports person has their idols who they try to follow and become like in the future and that is what I’m trying to do.”
“Donald Kaiwi is from Jiwaka and I’m from Jiwaka too so he is someone I looked up too, and I want to try to go to the level that he went, and go further to contest for world titles,” Yuanis said.
The Jiwakan said that he had been working out at the Taurama Aquatic Centre since November last year and would continue until the national championships were announced.
According to Yuanis, the competition’s organisers have yet to release the 2020 calendar for bodybuilding.
He said the earlier they staged the national championship, the better it would be for bodybuilders to prepare for other regional shows.