The Sunday Mail
Deputy Sports Editor
THE Novice Zimbabwe competition is one of those contests that Quiet Shangai holds dear and near to his heart.
In fact, the National Federation of Zimbabwe Body-building and Fitness (NFZBF) secretary-general has a number of events on his plate, with the Ironman Classic, Zim Open and Harare Classic being the notable contests.
However, the Novice Zimbabwe probably tops the list.
And, like the rest of the local bodybuilding community, Shangai is quite excited about the prospects of this year’s event, scheduled for April 6 at the 7 Arts Theatre.
He expects the Tryupps Novice Zimbabwe event to be well-attended, given that it is the first on the calendar.
“For the past couple of years and editions, we have huge turnouts at this event, with the 2023 show attracting more than 60 athletes.
“It has been doing very well. The whole bodybuilding community is excited. I am especially excited to see how many athletes we attract,” he said.
The secretary-general and his team have been putting in the work and recently embarked on a countrywide tour in which they spoke to renowned coaches to try and catch a glimpse of what to expect.
Shangai expressed satisfaction with the results.
He said they have been talking to coaches around the country and expect a huge turnout for this event.
“The likes of Simon Gama, Ryan Masosomere and Alec Jaure will be sending through a few of their athletes to this year’s competition.
“It is against this background that we have since decided to take this to another level and open it to athletes who will not have competed before,” he added.
Shangai revealed that they started last year with one event that catered for newcomers but have added a novice category for every event on the calendar.
As has become the norm, five categories will be on the programme for this year’s event.
These are the senior men, junior men’s bodybuilding (strictly 21-year-olds and under), men’s physique, men’s fitness and the women’s wellness development category.
The NFZBF will also continue their drive to make the event more interactive and educational as there will be more dialogue between the judges and the athletes.
This is aimed at creating a platform where the more seasoned judges can offer their take, tips and advice on how the athletes can improve.
They will also seek to help the athletes identify their strengths and weaknesses.
