Andrew
Deputy Sports Editor
IT has been quite the eventful couple of months for renowned bodybuilder Givemore Marume.
As event director of the successful Ironman Festival, Marume was front and centre of the preparations and actual proceedings at the event in May.
He then led a six-member team to South Africa for the Arnold Classic Festival the following month.
“Preparations for the festival (Ironman) was quite an ordeal, but I am happy to report that everything went well and without a hitch,” he said.
“We then had to take a team to South Africa for the Arnold Classic, and this competition was quite eye-opening.
“We learnt a lot of things while in South Africa; lessons we hope to implement back home and take our sport to the next level.”
Marume is presently organising his own competition, the Marume Classic, which is the next event on the National Federation of Zimbabwe Bodybuilding and Fitness (NFZBF) calendar.
It is slated for September 1 in the capital.
As a brainchild of the four-time Mr Zimbabwe and six-times Mr Ironman winner, the event is also one of the country’s premier bodybuilding and fitness competitions.
There are plans to make the competition bigger and better.
It is against this background that this year’s event has been transformed into a mini-festival, with a half-marathon, decathlon and strength challenges.
There are also the six bodybuilding categories that usually make up the event, which include the women’s bikini open, men’s fitness open, men’s physique (179cm and above), men’s physique (below 179cm), the junior men’s bodybuilding (23-years and above) and the men’s open categories.
“Every time we organise or attend events like the Arnolds, the goal is to keep learning as things in this sport are ever-changing and we have to adapt and move with the times,” he said.
“One of the many lessons we came back with from both the Ironman Festival and Arnold Classic is how we need to be more proactive when it comes to sponsorship.
“At the moment, our economy is not at the level we need it to be to facilitate our ideas, and the same goes for the corporate world.
“However, we need to add value to our product so that we attract both the Government and the corporate world.”
The Marume Classic has already attracted huge interest both locally and beyond the country’s borders.
There have been enquiries from bodybuilders in Zambia and Botswana, while locally some of the heavyweights are already confirmed.
Among the big names expected for the event are Ironman festival winners Gideon Teguru and Itayi “CC Banks” Sithole, as well as former champion Blessing Nyapimbi.
Marondera-based Nyapimbi walked away with the Marume Classic crown in 2017 and will be hoping to climb back onto the podium.
Online Reporter