Pang: Target overall crown!

KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Peter Pang En Yin hopes the State hulksters will flex their muscles to glory at the 43rd Mr Malaysia Bodybuilding Championship that takes centre stage at the Star City Conference and Events Centre in Asia City here this weekend.

The Youth and Sports Minister said it would be great if Sabah could win the overall crown on home soil.

“We are excited that the Mr Malaysia is being held here in Sabah. The Ministry is giving all-out support to our Sabah team. I hope they will do their best,” said Pang when met after handing over the State Flag to the State squad during a dinner held at a leading hotel on Tuesday.

The very least they expect from the State hulksters, Pang said, is to see some of them deliver the results that would coincide well with the ongoing Sukma in Pahang.

At the same time, Pang also expressed his gratefulness to the Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin for showing his support by witnessing the occasion.

“We are very grateful to our Head of State for his presence here today to witness the event. I hope this would help spur or instill greater spirit to our bodybuilders to do their best during the Mr Malaysia,” Pang added.

At the same time, Pang also called on the public, especially youngsters to take up bodybuilding.

“I encourage more youth to take up the sport, especially those in the Interior, who are strong and have good physiques to become bodybuilders.

Earlier on, Sabah Bodybuilding Association (SBBA), advisor Victor Kou, who is also the organising committee chairman for the Mr Malaysia, said that the presence of the Head of State and the Youth and Sports Minister will surely give the State hulksters that extra motivation to flex their muscles to the limit.

Kou, on behalf of the association and the hulksters, expressed their sincere thanks to all parties for the support they have shown towards bodybuilding.

The national level championship will start on Friday with the weigh-in, while the prejudging and finals will be held on Saturday, all at the same venue.

Sabah, Kou said, will be parading a full squad and will compete in almost all of the 12 categories.

Sabah will be led by team manager Joannes Staneslous, who is also SBBA acting president.

The State coach is Joseph Sylvester.

The hulksters are Shamsul Solomon (Junior Lightweight 70kg below – Keningau), Lorenzo Patcher Santos (Junior Welterweight 70kg above – Keningau), Hassan Lahamih (Masters – Sabah Police), Abdul Mat Sali (Light-Flyweight – KK), Augustine Ekin (Bantamweight – Beaufort), Yampil Garai (Lightweight – Sabah Police), Henro Lee (Welterweight – Penampang), Mohd Riduan Kassim (Light-Middleweight – Sabah Police), Yong Chee Ken (Middleweight – KK), Mark Allan Mogindol – Light-Heavyweight – KK), Mohd Azlan Daud (Light-Heavyweight – Tawau), Mohd Asyraaf Akhmal Abdullah (Heavyweight – Sabah Police).