Bodybuilding show to thrill this month

MOSSEL BAY SPORT NEWS - There is a chance for spectators to view a live sport event soon.

Locals associate September with the annual Mossel Bay Sport and Recreation Festival.

Although the festival will not be held this year again, due to Covid-19, all is not lost, as the International Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (IBFF) Southern Cape will be hosting its Spring Classic on 25 September.

The event will be hosted by Mossel Bay's very own over 40 IBFF SA champion and former world champion Rochelle Smit at the Diaz Beach Hotel and Resort.

Smit hosted the first Spring Classic as part of the Sport and Recreation Festival in 2019, with the vision of making this an annual highlight on the bodybuilding events calendar. This year she is back, despite Covid-19, and has added exciting new categories to the competition. Smit, as previously quoted by the Mossel Bay Advertiser, wishes to develop a love and appreciation for the art of bodybuilding in her community. She wants to create a platform for younger athletes as well as disabled athletes to compete.

This year, children's categories have been included. This caters for boys and girls aged five to eight, nine to 11 and 12 to14 years old. They will be competing from 08:00 on 25 September, when the live judging will take place.

The adults will have their turn from 13:00.

Disabled athlete Macethandile (Max) Kulati will be travelling with his coach from Gqeberha to compete. He has been physically disabled since 2014 and started gym in 2017. In 2018 he competed in power lifting for the first time and won his first trophy. "This year I decided I want to try out something new and face new challenges and athletes. So I decided to start doing bodybuilding and I'm looking forward to meeting disabled athletes like me at the upcoming event," Max said.

Registration for the event takes place on 24 September.

"I wanted to host the event over the long weekend, to secure maximum participation, but also to create an economic boost for Mossel Bay, since athletes and their families will be travelling from far and wide to attend the Spring Classic," Smit explains.

She is expecting about 80 athletes.

"We have had a lot of interest. Everyone is hungry to compete and ready to strut their stuff."

Spectators are welcome. All the relevant Covid-19 protocol will apply.

For more information regarding the event, contact Smit (082 944 2327 or rochelle@mweb.co.za).

Macethandile (Max) Kulati is one of the disabled athletes competing in the Spring Classic on 25 September.