Bodybuilding-What next? |25 February 2012

Unless those involved with running the sport continue to camp on their decisions, nothing will change in favour of the flex posers who are dying to flex their muscles on stage after months of hard training.

All these confusions have come as a direct result of the break-up in early 2010 of the former Seychelles Amateur Bodybuilding Association (Sabba) into the Seychelles Bodybuilding Association (SBBA) affiliated to the International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB), and the Seychelles Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation (SBPF) which is a member of the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation (WBPSF) – a break-away organisation from the IFBB.

The National Sports Council (NSC) has said it is not meddling in the affairs of the two bodybuilding bodies and it is best they unite to be recognised by the local sport authority.

Speaking to Sports Nation, NSC’s director for sports management and development Robert Auguste said: “The NSC has met the chairpersons of the two bodybuilding bodies and has told them to unite otherwise they won’t be recognised.”

“The ball’s in their court and it’s up to them to decide what they want to do. As it stands now, not one body is recognised by the NSC and we are not giving anyone of them a budget until things are sorted out.”

SBBA chairman Marcel Ally said he has slim hopes the two bodies can work together and adds the NSC is now sitting on the fence.

“Unification? This won’t happen. The NSC has proposed that we organise the Mr Seychelles contest one year and the SBPF organises it the following year. We are OK with that, but SBPF chairman (Mohan Chetty) has said his athletes cannot take part in competitions organised by the SBBA as it is against their constitution,” said Mr Ally.

He added he is of the “impression the NSC is distancing itself from the mess when it was very much involved in the break-up in 2010 and recognised the SBPF which left the Sabba.”

Reached by phone, SBPF chairman Chetty said his wish is to see all Seychellois bodybuilders compete for one recognised association.

Which one?
“In my opinion, the SBBA is only interested in the Mr Seychelles contest, but the SBPF is committed to organising other competitions. It will do so even though it is not recognised by the NSC. At this point it is difficult for the SBPF to leave the WBPSF from which it receives a lot of financial help, to be affiliated to the IFBB which is not interested in helping bodybuilders from developing countries.

“We in the SBPF also believe in discipline. We have been able to instill discipline into our bodybuilders and don’t want other people to bring disorder in our camp,” said Mr Chetty who was the last Seychelles Amateur Bodybuilding Association (Sabba) head before the break-up into SBBA and SBPF in early 2010.

The rivalry between the two bodybuilding camps became rife late last year when SBBA bodybuilders were, like in 2010, denied the chance to compete in the Mr Seychelles organised by the SBPF.

Flex posers Ziad Al Adou Mekdachi, Joe Gabriel and Rodney Henriette all made a plea to compete in the Mr Seychelles contest on October 29, but were unable to do so.

Some bodybuilders and bodybuilding enthusiasts called on the NSC to organise the Mr Seychelles contest, but Mr Auguste had this to say at the time: “The NSC has no mandate to organise competitions at competitive level because it is not a member of and is not recognised by any international sports federation. The NSC recognised the SBPF and gave the body headed by Mr Chetty a budget, it also gave them the mandate to hold meetings with the SBBA in 2011 to try to solve the conflict and come up with just one bodybuilding body. The SBPF hasn’t honoured this agreement and I can confirm that because it has not organised enough competitions, it will not receive a budget from the NSC in 2012 and none of its bodybuilders will qualify for the Sports Awards of the Year crowning ceremony.”

Since the break-up in 2010, the sport of bodybuilding is bleeding and it needs committed people to help it heal as quality flex posers like Ziad Al Adou Mekdachi, Nano Camille, Joe Gabriel, Fabien Antat and Rodney Henriette are eager to bring their best physiques on to the stage.

It’s a pity bodybuilders with great potential are being taken hostages by some mediocre decisions.
Something must be done as soon as possible to save the sport…

G. G.