Byekwaso's World Championship hopes in the balance

Mr. Universe Ivan Byekwaso is set to put on another great show at the World Natural Bodybuilding Championships in Budapest, Hungary from June 10-11, but he must skip one more hurdle of sponsorship before he can hit the stage.

After spending close to three weeks training in Nairobi and securing the visa to Hungary the Nile Special USPA Body Builder of the Year was by Sunday not certain of his travel to the championship as his participation only hinged on hope and promises.

"I approached many people for sponsorship before I went to Nairobi but none of them has fulfilled their promise yet I intend to travel by Wednesday, so I call on all of them and everyone who has the country at heart to come to my rescue," Byekwaso said.

Apart from the air ticket to Hungary, Byekwaso is looking for cash to cater for his accommodation, upkeep, meals and internal transport while in Hungary and $800 (sh2.7m) for the complimentary doping test.

But he is hopeful National Council of Sports (NCS) will come good on their promise of an air ticket and he already has only good words for the new general secretary.

"People like Nicholas Muramagi should be the ones running sports because I think they have come to serve sport not their own interests," Byekwaso who when he travels will be in touch with his winning coach Gasper Lorenzo in Hungary said.

"Whoever I gave my proposal to, it is time to deliver. We should start putting into practice what our motto says; For God and my Country, because what I do out there is not for personal benefit but for the country," Byekwaso stated before he went to search for the money from the different sources.

Last year with the help of Pemba Sports Africa Byekwaso won the Mr. Universe and the AM World Cup in the US before finishing 5^th in the Natural Olympia in Las Vegas.