Bela-Bela bodybuilders show some serious muscle in Soweto

Itumeleng Sebola, Lesego Thiyo, Thabo Mabotja, Daniel Maimela, Sello Molokomme and Itumeleng Dikoko from Bela-Bela made a good impression on the judges.

Most of them walked away with the accolade of being ranked under the top six participants in their respective categories.

These men represented their gyms: Andries’s Gym, Shape Up, and Health Zone in town. Some contestants participated independently and followed a strict regime at home.

“It was a chance for us to experience what it was all about on stage. All of us walked away with awards,” Dikoko told The Post.

He has been pumping iron since 2001.

“The youth of today want to do bodybuilding for all the wrong reasons. They want to be able to bully others. I envisage what I can do to improve my physique, set the goal, and start building my body with dedicated exercise and a strict dietary plan. It takes a lot of hard work and mental focus to build the body you envisaged.”

According to him, a bodybuilder can be disqualified on stage for their attire that does not meet the requirements or for wearing jewelry and body piercing studs. Chewing gum can get you disqualified as well. The correct music for your routine is vitally important.

Mabotja, who has been in the gym since 2011, said he tends to go on a strict diet before the start of the next competition. He is currently in a favorable position to have been nominated to compete in the prestigious IBFF World Championship in Slovenia in Central Europe in June.

“I stay away from cholesterol and alcohol to keep my body in check. I change my weekly routine to work on my physique and strength,” he said. “It is a sport that relaxes your mind after a long day. After a hard day, you can forget your issues at the gym. You simply cannot be a bodybuilder without the correct mindset.”

Thiyo, who has been working out full-time for the past six years, believes that this sport will extend his life because of the health benefits connected to it. The Soweto event was his first competition.

“Bodybuilding improves my endurance and flexibility. It protects me from heart disease and high blood pressure and exercise makes you look younger. I do, however, have to eat large amounts of carbohydrate-rich foods, but I tend to draw the line at juice or milk as my preferred drink.”

Sebola, currently 18, has been on a mission for the last three years to create his own version of a well-built body.

“I am not dieting and do not hold back on abstaining from anything. I do want to excel in this sport because it keeps me distracted enough to not get involved in any illegal activity like some of my peers.”

Molokomme, a veteran in the gym for more than seven years, says he has a rigid workout five days a week. He either works on his chest, triceps, shoulders, biceps, back and legs while setting aside one day for physical cardio.

He has been rewarded for this dedication by qualifying for the IBFF World Championship as well.

“My exercise routine is a combination of physique and strength training. I come from a poor upbringing and I am not academically gifted, but when I was introduced to bodybuilding it gave my life, direction, and purpose,” Molokomme said. “Bodybuilding is not just about having a great body, it is about discipline and commitment. You have to be both physically and mentally prepared. If you can do that then you will be ready to be a bodybuilder.”

Most of these locals have an intense passion for the sport but lack sponsorships. The traveling cost is a hurdle as some of them are unemployed since the Covid-19-pandemic. They hope that sponsors will come forward and invest in them for their future participation.

The next events that they hope to participate in, will be held between April and May in Durban, Limpopo, and Pretoria.

Molokomme and Mabotja still have an uphill battle to obtain sponsorship to ensure that they can participate in the prestigious event in Europe.