Asia-Pacific bodybuilding tilt slated in Boracay

Date: 30-10-2006 Posted by: Anabolic Info TeamPhilippines

W. Erwin Chiongson, founder of Winner Promotions and Winners Gym, the pioneering commercial fitness establishment in Panay, will organize this event.

The competition was confirmed by a letter from Jim Pitt, Nabba vice president for the Asia Pacific region. He sanctioned the event to Engineer Jun Tanyag, president of the Samahang Barbelista ng Pilipinas.

Nabba is the international organization that stages the Mr. Universe, where the likes of Steeve Reeves, and later Arnold Schwarzeneger first made waves before they were discovered by Holywood.

The Samhang Barbelista ng Pilipinas is the local affiliate organization.

This will be the first ever Nabba Asia Pacific Championships and hopes are high that its staging will remain in the country for good.

The concept was born out of a need to maintain a high level of exposure to the standards of international competition. Sending a full delegation of eight to 10 athletes to a major event in Europe may cost as much as the staging of an international event organized in the country.

Not only does staging a sanctioned international sport event allow wider exposure to the international standards of competition (bodybuilding at this instance) , it carries an unquantifiable element of in-bound tourism building.

The 2007 Nabba Asia Pacificwill be followed by a bodybuilding - fitness tour of major local cities and municipalities. This additional exposure is intended to shore up the inspirational potential for the local physical fitness community. The Philippines trails most of its Asian neighbors in physical fitness quotient scores.

Chiongson, who has extensive events organizing experience in Boracay, is the veteran national bodybuilding event organizer responsible for the staging of Iloilo City's first major international sport event - the 1988 Asean Bodybuilding Championships. He will be backed up by his counterpart Dennis Delgado, founder of Workout Fitness Center, in Cebu, who will also organize the national qualifiers event to the Asian Pacific. At least 10 nations are expected to send delegates.