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Nathan Greenland

Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
THERE has been a shift in venue for this Saturday’s inaugural Bodyworks Classics from Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC) to Gifford High School and Elite 400.

The change has resulted in the Bodyworks Classics being split into two categories, the outdoor event at Gifford High during the day and the evening indoor contest at Elite 400.

Nathan Greenland, the United Kingdom-based owner of Bodyworks Gym said they had been forced to use Gifford and Elite 400 because BAC would be hosting a cricket match on the same day.

The grounds at Gifford will be utilised for the outdoor events like the strongmen competition where muscular men get to show their strength by pulling cars for 30 metres and run with 100 kilogrammes of weights over the same distance, which is called the farmers’ walk.

Those interested can attend both the outdoor and indoor events for a combined fee of $3.

Bodybuilders will compete in the senior men open, men’s Under-23, men’s fitness and women’s fitness bikini at the indoor event at Elite 400.

“There is cricket on that day at BAC, so we have paid for Gifford and Elite 400. We needed a ground to do strongman hence the two venues, but it’s all the same admission fee for both venues,” said Greenland.

Held a week after the Mr and Ms Zimbabwe that took place at the Harare International School in the capital city on Saturday, the Bodyworks Classics is certain to attract the best bodybuilders from around Zimbabwe and some based outside the country.

Registration is pegged at $5 and has already started, but event coordinator Simon Gama indicated that the tendency of bodybuilders is to sign up for participation on the day of the event.

This allows contestants to register a few hours before it takes off.

Greenland told our sister publication The Sunday News earlier this month that he decided to bankroll the Bodyworks Classics as his way of motivating bodybuilders that put in a lot of work in the gym.

He said prizes will be up for grabs for those that finish in the top five of each category, with the prizes being kept as a surprise and are to be unveiled to winners on the day.

There will also be an aerobics and taekwondo display to complement the bodybuilding event — @Mdawini_29