Morobe muscling up for meet

 By GABRIEL LAHOC

TWELVE members of the Morobe bodybuilding association are in training with high hopes to attend the National Bodybuilding Championships next month in Kokopo, East New Britain, despite delays in sponsorships.

The bodybuilders who will represent Lae are led by 2007 South Pacific championship gold medalist Wilfred Kurua and have been preparing steadily for the last three months at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium gymnasium.

In a sport which is expensive for the average Papua New Guinean, currently the four women and eight men who are members of the PNG elite and development squad are meeting their own expenses in training and dieting.

Kurua said interest was very high among the bodybuilders but their biggest need was sponsorship especially to meet their airfares to and from Kokopo, which will be part of their lead-up tournaments towards the 2014 PNG Games in Lae and 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby.

“Bodybuilding is a very expensive sport. 

“Our diet is mainly protein for putting on muscle, currently some members of the team are paying K5 for one gym session alone,” Kurua, who will compete in the 85kg division, said.

“With two weeks left our biggest need is with airfares and sponsorship for our accomodation. 

“I appeal especially to the business houses to come forward and assist us,” he said.

Apart from the Kokopo championship, other lead-up tournaments are the World bodybuilding championship in Hungary in November and the South Pacific bodybuilding championship in Tonga in December.

Selection for the PNG team to Hungary will be made in Kokopo.

The Morobe team: Jorry Awengo, Lambert Sangip, Joe Londati Miso, Rueben Livi, Jacob Siri, Nelson Elvakan, Lugan Lucas, Eskay Steel, Solo Api, Ruth Steel, Rau Moses, Alice Wek and Helen Mombi.