Egypt not only hosted the African bodybuilding championship but also dominated it Egypt came first in the African bodybuilding championship, Libya second and Mauritius third. The results were hardly a surprise given Egypt's history of world bodybuilding champions. Inas Mazhar reports. The event was the seventh edition of the seniors championship, the fifth for juniors and first for the masters. The two-day event, witnessed by a high spectator turnout, was held in Al-Obour Institute for Management and Informatics in Al-Obour, 40 kilometres northeast of Cairo. The event was inspired by the institute to help ensure the role of the educational system in sport. "As one of the leading countries in bodybuilding, Egypt should be proud of its bodybuilders," the head of the African and Egyptian bodybuilding federations Adel Fahim told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Egypt has dominated the region for 12 years as a result of a stable policy it has adopted. The federation provides the athletes, especially the champions, with everything needed for their training to ensure they achieve the best results." It was the first time the masters event was held in three age categories -- over 40, over 50 and over 60. Phillip Liu Man, an amazing 71, from Mauritius was very happy to take part in the event. "I used to play swimming, basketball, tennis and jogging when I was young," Man told the Weekly. "I started to play bodybuilding when I was 64. "I was a regular visitor to the gym and my friends told me I had a strong body and good muscles and encouraged me to do bodybuilding and so I started, and here I am, more powerful and fitter. "I train three times a week, two hours a day. It took me two years to get my muscles fit. 'Never smoke' is my motto in life." Despite the popularity of bodybuilding and the full-house hall that hosted the championship, the question remains: Is bodybuilding a genuine sport? Fahim has no doubt about bodybuilding's authenticity. "Of course it is. It needs strength and power and that makes it a real sport." Inimitime Agaplepe from Nigeria agrees with Fahim. "As far as I'm concerned, it is a sport. I need to train physically hard to play bodybuilding, to strengthen my muscles, to enter competitions and compete against others, so it is a sport." But Ahmed Esmat, Egypt's gold medalist in the 85kg weight category, had a slightly different opinion. "You can't say it's an entire sport. It's a mixture of power and arts. The bodybuilder is like an artist when he is on stage performing. Having the talent to perform on stage is what makes the difference and brings victory. We train hard physically and think of what makes one unique when he is on stage. The bodybuilder is an artist," Esmat said. How do bodybuilders build their muscles? What does it take to reach that stage? The public normally thinks of bodybuilders as eating huge amounts of food, that they can down a sheep or seven chickens just for lunch and that they spend their whole life eating to nurture their muscles. Esmat said there was nothing further from the truth. "It's not like everybody thinks. It's true that we eat a lot but we do follow a balanced diet and it is proportional. We must eat lots of protein and carbohydrates, but we don't eat haphazardly. We have defined portions. As long as we receive the needed calories from proteins and carbohydrates, we're alright." Esmat admitted bodybuilders do take pills but as supplements. "I know that bodybuilders are known to take steroids but not in all cases. Many of us take pills to help build up our muscles, but they are drug- free and are used as a food supplement. They are registered and approved by the sport's governing body." The Egyptian champion recalled a difficult experience when training in the US during Ramadan. "I asked my American coach whether I could fast. He advised me to have a balanced diet but added, 'I have no Ramadan, I don't know, it's your problem. You should find out and calculate the calories you need after breaking your fast.' "It was a horrible experience because I insisted on fasting but didn't know what to eat or properly divide my meals from sunset to dawn." Egypt has produced some of the world's most gifted and exciting bodybuilders such as 1983 Mr Olympia and IFBB Hall of Famer Samir Bannout, IFBB legend Mohamed Makkawi, five-time World Amateur Champion and two-time World Games Champion Anwar El-Amawi, and six-time World Amateur Champion and the 1999 Egyptian Male Athlete of the Year, El-Shahat Mabrouk who holds the IFBB record for the most World Amateur Champion titles. Bodybuilders from the Arab world have enjoyed tremendous success and the future of bodybuilding in this part of the world holds unlimited promise. From 1940 to 1970 is often referred to as the "golden age" of bodybuilding because of changes in the aesthetic for more mass, as well as muscular symmetry and definition, which characterised the early years. This was due in large part to the advent of World War II, which inspired many young men to be bigger, stronger and more aggressive in their attitudes. This was accomplished by improved training techniques, better nutrition and more effective equipment. Several important publications came into being as well, and new contests emerged as the popularity of the sport grew. Additional reporting by Ahmed Morsy By Inas Mazhar
