07.11.2004:Young Bodybuilders in Singapore
Sunday, July 11, 2004 at 15:12 From TheStraitsTimes, the largest newspaper in Singapore:
Muscle teens
'Macho men' in movies help to spur interest in bodybuilding among youngsters
By Nur Dianah Suhaimi Salleh
NICHOLAS Ong may only be 15 and still in secondary school, but unlike most scrawny or gangly teenagers his age, he boasts a physique which can put any adult male to shame.
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| Nicholas Ong took up bodybuilding after he was sent to the Singapore Boys' Home last September. He finished fourth in the junior flyweight division at the National Bodybuilding Championships last week. -- CHEW SENG KIM |
Standing at 1.7m and weighing 60kg, he is all brawn, thanks to his interest in bodybuilding.
At the National Bodybuilding Championships last week, he emerged fourth in the junior flyweight division.
Figures from the Singapore Bodybuilders Federation (SBBF) show the sport has become increasingly popular among teenage boys. This year, 24 of them competed in the national competition, compared to 13 last year. There were no participants in 2002.
Due to this overwhelming response, SBBF has added two new Under-21 categories to the existing two categories this year.
Mr Paul Chua, president of the Singapore Bodybuilders Federation, attributes the sport's growing popularity to the ubiquity of 'macho men' in movies.
He explains: 'When teenage boys see Schwarzenegger, Stallone and the Incredible Hulk in action, they wish to look just as healthy and manly as these movie characters.
'Also, more competitions are being organised by various schools and tertiary institutions, thus making young people more aware of the sport.'
It helps, he says, that young boys have become more educated about health matters.
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