Byekwaso''s 2014 achievements stood out in a bad season

Dec 09, 2014

Ivan Byekwaso who has been a dominant figure in the sport in the country is one man who could help turn the fortunes of the sport.


By Michael Nsubuga

Having failed to organize even a single event in the year ending, one can easily conclude that the Uganda Body Building and Fitness Association and the Bodybuilding sport in Uganda are on their death bed.

But despite the continued lack of sponsorship for local competitions individuals continued working behind the scenes in different gyms around the country and from their personal achievements the sport could ‘resurrect’ in the coming years.

Ivan Byekwaso who has been a dominant figure in the sport in the country is one man who could help turn the fortunes of the sport after winning a silver and a bronze at the World Championships and the Natural Olympiad respectively.

The former footballer describes this as his best year since starting the sport because of his two international medals he has won.

“This has been my best year to-date because in the past I have been winning local and regional events which didn’t bring in as much recognition as these two medals; beating all those guys to these medals for me is a very big achievement,” Byekwaso says.

The feat will soon see Byekwaso join outstanding sportsmen who are already benefiting from the Presidential Sports Award that comes with a monthly pay from state house.

He could soon start earning over sh2m monthly because of the two achievements.
 


A cheery Byekwaso training at the Hotel Africana gym. (photo credit: Michael Nsubuga)


The 36-year-old muscle man managed to travel for the championship at the last minute courtesy of a $3000 donation from President Museveni.

Brother Ronnie of ETM International Church had offered the athlete the sh2m which wasn’t enough. But the late acquisition of the money from President Museveni within 24 hours of asking helped the bodybuilder represent Uganda in Nitra City where he didn’t disappoint.

The Gold medal eluded him by just one point but the silver earned him a ticket to the lucrative World Amateur Body Building Olympiad in the US in November.

The President and founder of the International Natural Body Building Association (INBA WORLD), Denny Kakos, hailed Byekwaso for showcasing the best entertainment and talent in the competition.

As a result of his performance in the Natural Body Building Competition, the UBBFA could soon change its affiliation from the International Federation of Body Building (IFBB) to the International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA) because according to Byekwaso more countries are embracing the natural body building competitions where athletes are tested for doping.
 

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Byekwaso shows off a bronze medal he won in the US at the National Council of Sports (NCS) offices, Lugogo on Nov 14, 2014. (photo credit: Silvano Kibuuka)


Byekwaso’s exploits continued at the INBA Natural Body Building Olympiad in San Diego in November where he settled for Bronze but could have won even a better medal if it wasn’t for misrepresentation of some of the poses.

He encountered the ‘hands on hips most muscular’ and the ‘Abs and single thigh’ poses which he had not been used to in Uganda thereby relinquishing the Gold and Silver to Peter Hartwig from Australia and Meetei Ngangbam from Taiwan.

He had earlier been chosen among the top fi ve after the Free Style posing against opponents from Australia, Taiwan, India, US, Slovakia, Russia, England and Argentina.

But that did not stop him from winning admirers including the President of the International Body Building Association Denny Kakos and former US Mr. America (1992) Charles Bradshaw.

“Uganda already has a super star athlete in Ivan and I feel with continued support he will be on top of the World in his category,” Kakos said after the competition that attracted 12 finalists in the 5’7 category.

Former Mr. America (1992) Charles Bradshaw who works for the U.S Marines Corps was also awed by the build of the Ugandan echoing the similar sentiments.
 

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Byekwaso has been a dominant figure on the Ugandan bodybuilding scene. (photo credit: Michael Nsubuga)


“Ivan has the best legs in the business and a great body. I do not know what type of equipment you have in Uganda, but I tell you, this guy is breath taking to watch and can be on top of the World and dominate it for years,” Bradshaw stated.

Byekwaso will now turn focus on the INBA World Championships due June 3-5 2015 in Dubai where he will have chance to improve on the silver he won this year and the Mr. Universe in September in the US before the next Olympiad in Las Vegas in November 2015.

Before these competitions he will have chance to train for two months in the US to improve on his physique (shoulders) and posing following negotiations by his manager and one of the top trainers Kaspar Lorenzo.

But that training will only materialize if he secures funds for the trip. On the other hand, the UBBFA has to ensure earlier promises of registering clubs countrywide, organizing regional and local events as well as restructuring as per new NCS guidelines are met if the sport is to produce more stars.

The sport has been struggling since the UAABF leadership then lost the Nile Special sponsorship in 2007.
 

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