Ade Rai continues competition despite PABBSI threat

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's top bodybuilder Ade Rai will go ahead with the 2001 Siswaraga bodybuilding championships for students on Saturday despite an alleged threat from the Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Body Building Association (PABBSI) to suspend bodybuilders competing in that event.

PABBSI is organizing the Djoko Pramono Weider Cup national championships on Tuesday.

"PABBSI has no right to ban bodybuilders from competing in tournaments that either I or other people organize," Ade told a press conference on Tuesday.

"Let bodybuilders choose themselves which events they would prefer to participate in. I can only provide them with opportunities to compete as a way of measuring their training results."

PABBSI is allegedly threatening participants competing in Saturday's event by issuing a letter saying that they will be suspended from other events for an unspecified period of time.

"I have never seen the letter myself nor have PABBSI sent it to me. But I've been told that PABBSI have distributed the letter to fitness centers warning that it will ban any bodybuilders taking part in my tournament," Ade said.

"For me it's quite funny because PABBSI always asks bodybuilders to follow me or to follow them. I don't think it should question me because I'm just helping PABBSI."

"Besides, PABBSI has done nothing to help bodybuilders. So far, we have had to provide and finance all our own training. Since it has never fulfilled its own obligations, how can the PABBSI make such demands?"

But Ade was quick to add that he was only focusing his criticism towards the bodybuilding division of the association.

"We can not deny that PABBSI has also made marvelous achievements at the Sydney Olympics with a silver and two bronze medals. I ask the officials in the bodybuilding division to do something useful."

Siswaraga will take place at Graha Bhakti Budaya in Taman Ismail Marzuki, Central Jakarta, Saturday from 9 a.m. in cooperation with the Prestasi Anak Bangsa foundation (YPAB).

The event will stage six categories of 55 kilograms, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg and above 75kg. Winners of each category will pocket Rp 300,000 (US$30) in prize money. (nvn)